Subscribe to The Big IssueFrom just £3 per week
Take a print or digital subscription to The Big Issue and provide a critical lifeline to our work. With each subscription we invest every penny back into supporting the network of sellers across the UK.
A subscription also means you'll never miss the weekly editions of an award-winning publication, with each issue featuring the leading voices on life, culture, politics and social activism.
Specialist volunteering centres can also direct you to organisations in need of your time. Find your local centre here if you live in England, here if you live in Scotland, here for those in Wales and here if you live in Northern Ireland.
British Red Cross
There are several different ways to volunteer in aid of refugees, and with organisations such as the British Red Cross, it can be as simple as spending some time volunteering in your local charity shop. But they also welcome ambulance volunteers and people who will work directly with refugees.
More information on the charity’s volunteering programme can be found here while the latest volunteering opportunities near you are updated here.
Refuweegee
This Glasgow-based charity has been wrapping its arms around newly arrived refugees and asylum seekers since 2015. With a particular focus on ensuring displaced people know they are welcome in their new home, Refuweegee asks people to write a kind “letter fae a local” to be placed in an individual support pack.
Those packs contain essentials such as shampoo, nappies and non-perishable food for people arriving in Glasgow, and the charity needs volunteers to shop for and deliver these products. More information on its volunteering opportunities can be found here.
Refugee Action
Refugee Action has been campaigning for a fairer immigration system and helping people rebuild their lives in the UK for 35 years.
Volunteers are integral to the operation and the charity is always on the look out for people to donate their time – whether it be to ensure displaced people are welcomed into their new communities or to help out around the office – and keep the work going smoothly. More information on time commitments, background checks and training can be found here.
Breaking Barriers
Breaking Barriers works with refugees in London to help them find secure employment.
The charity focuses on making sure people new to the UK do not become underemployed, meaning their work does not match their skill set, and that their jobs align with their aspirations.
Their door is always open for advice and guidance volunteers for one-to-one appointments with refugees and operations volunteers to assist with behind-the-scenes tasks. The organisation also looks for English volunteers to support the work-related language skills of refugees who do not speak English as their first language. Volunteers can act as teachers, teaching assistants or on curriculum development. Find out more here.