Volunteer to help refugees and reunite families
From welcoming newly-arrived people in the UK to helping families reconnect after conflict or disaster, your time and compassion can make a real difference.
Why volunteer to support refugees and people seeking family reunion?
No matter your background or experience, you can make a real difference supporting people seeking protection and those separated from their families.
The British Red Cross is the UK’s largest independent provider of services to people seeking safety and protection.
Every day, we help individuals across the UK access essential services, rebuild their lives and reconnect with family members around the world.
Volunteering with us is a chance to:
- Grow your skills and experience
- Meet new people
- Make a positive impact in your community
How you can help
There are many meaningful ways to volunteer in support of refugees and people seeking to reconnect with loved ones.
Refugee Support
Across the UK, our volunteers support people seeking safety to access healthcare, education, housing and other essential services.
Volunteers offer one-on-one support, work alongside interpreters and other organisations, and provide comfort during challenging times.
If you speak additional languages, you can also help as an interpreter or translator, supporting people to understand key information and communicate with services.
Restoring Family Links
Many people lose contact with their family members due to conflict, natural disasters or migration.
Our international family tracing volunteers help them search for and reconnect with loved ones.
You could support this work by:
- meeting with people to understand their situation
- recording detailed information
- carrying out local searches.
Family Reunion Service
We offer free advice to eligible refugees who are applying to bring close family members to the UK.
Volunteers help by:
- gathering evidence
- writing statements
- preparing online applications
- drafting legal documents, and more.
Who can apply?
You’ll get all the training you need to succeed, no matter which role suits you best, but we’re also looking for someone who is:
- Ready to learn - open to learning new skills and making a positive difference
- A strong communicator - confident written and verbal communication skills
- Empathetic - supportive, resilient and able to help others through difficult moments
- Trustworthy - able to maintain confidentiality and act with professionalism
- Organised - flexible, good at prioritising your caseload and IT literate
Volunteer roles and responsibilities may vary depending on your location and the type of support you’re offering. Some opportunities are available remotely or as hybrid roles.
We welcome applications from people of all backgrounds, including those with lived experience of displacement or seeking safety.
Benefits of volunteering
Volunteering with the British Red Cross, you will:
- meet new people and be part of a welcoming and inclusive team
- use your existing skills and gain invaluable new experience
- build your self confidence in varied and meaningful roles
- get training provided and reasonable pre-agreed travel expenses
- be part of the world's largest humanitarian organisation and truly make a difference.
Interested in volunteering?
Find out what roles are available right now and apply today.
"Even with everything that’s happening in the world you still have British Red Cross volunteers every day, day in and day out, giving their time for others - and that could be you."
Refugee support volunteer
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