Volunteering FAQs

We are always involving volunteers in new ways and in new parts of the organisation, so our volunteer opportunities are always changing! Some permanent volunteer roles are: 

• Advice, and guidance/sector specific volunteer 
• Operations volunteer 
• Interpreter/translator volunteer 
• Education volunteer 
• Employment foundations volunteer 
• Digital skills training volunteer 
• Employed client mentor volunteer 

 You can apply for multiple roles if you are interested in more than one. 

 Check out our opportunities page to see all the roles available at the moment. 

Yes! While there are some languages we are consistently recruiting for, we have supported people from over 60 countries. Our clients’ needs are always evolving, and we welcome applications from people who are fluent in English and any other languages to support us in making our services more accessible.

We offer both in-person and remote volunteering sessions.  Our in-person sessions take place in our offices in London, Birmingham, and Manchester. Our online sessions take place over Zoom. 

Whether it’s online or in-person depends on the volunteer role or programme, the volunteer’s availability, and the preference of the client being supported in the session. If you have a preference you can let us know during the application process.  

We do regularly work with volunteers who use corporate volunteering days. However, it is very rare that we offer single-day volunteering opportunities. If you have several volunteering ‘days’ that you can break up to volunteer over a longer period, some of our opportunities could be a great fit for you. 

Unfortunately, we are not able to reimburse travel expenses for volunteers. 

There are many benefits that come from volunteering. Here are some of the ones our volunteers have told us about when volunteering with us:

• You get to have a genuine impact on the lives of people of refugee background 
• You can develop a range of skills – each role offers unique learning opportunities! 
• You can learn more about how a growing charity operates 
• There are opportunities for training and support, related to refugees and employment practices  
• You get to be part of a new, innovative charity, which is developing all the time 
• We encourage volunteers to develop in their role, or pivot to a new part of the organisation, so you can continue to learn during your time with us as you see fit.  

Yes, we offer different forms of corporate volunteering for our corporate partners, including exclusive individual volunteering opportunities and group volunteering opportunities, such as Employability Skills Workshops. To learn more about partnering with us, please contact [email protected].

Education volunteers are required to have a teaching qualification (CELTA/TEFL/PGCE) or significant teaching experience. 

In our general volunteering programmes, we offer a range of volunteer roles, each of which requires a unique set of skills and experience, so we encourage everyone to apply. 

If you are motivated to be involved in your community and support people of refugee background, you can be a valuable part of our organisation! 

Yes, you will be required to complete the following training as part of your onboarding process:

• Induction Session: This includes training on Breaking Barriers, volunteer development within the organisation, and refugee issues, including the asylum system in the UK 
• Safeguarding and GDPR training 
• You may also take part in additional role-specific training: for example shadowing a client session, one-on-one training with staff, or volunteer teacher training courses 

Yes! Each office’s volunteer team is managed by a dedicated Volunteer Officer, who will be your main point of contact.  

Members of the volunteer team are always available to provide support through regular catch-ups, updates around new opportunities for volunteers, or just a cup of tea in our office!  

You will also receive ongoing support from the wider volunteer and education teams, and from all other Breaking Barriers staff you work with in your volunteering role. 

You can volunteer with us while receiving benefits, so long as you continue to meet all conditions of your benefit. There’s lots more information about volunteering while receiving benefits on the gov.uk site here.

Please apply through our online application here.

Yes, you can apply for multiple roles if you are interested in more than one. Just indicate which ones interest you when you complete the form.

You will need to provide a recent CV, and during the onboarding process you will need to sign the following agreements: 

• Confidentiality Agreement 
• Bring Your Own Device Agreement 
• Volunteer Code of Conduct Agreement 

Once you apply, we will review your application and respond via email within 2 – 4 weeks.  

If you would like to follow-up on your application, please email our volunteering team directly at [email protected].

A main objective in our volunteering programme is to ensure that you feel happy, supported, and fulfilled in your role. Part of this is to ensure that volunteering commitments do not cause you additional stress and that our programmes are flexible so they can fit in with your schedules.  

While you are usually required to commit to 3-6 months of volunteering, you can take breaks as needed throughout the course of your volunteering at Breaking Barriers.

Please contact the volunteer team directly at [email protected]