Volunteer With Us

 

Current Recruitment Status: Applications Closed!

Applications to become an ASSIST volunteer are now closed. 

If you have made an application, your application is now being reviewed by our team. Please make sure you check your emails, we will be in touch to bring your application forward. If you could not apply this time, please visit this page in the future or follow us on social media.

We are actively recruiting for Hosts and Skilled Maintenance Volunteers. You can find more information about these roles at the bottom of this page.

Our volunteers play a huge part in the work we do, bringing a wealth of experience and ensuring our vital services keep running. Volunteering with ASSIST is an opportunity to support and work with those seeking asylum on their journey towards experiencing greater stability, and to challenge destitution and the Hostile Environment by linking together material support and resistance.

Volunteer Roles

Volunteers can join ASSIST in a variety of roles. Some work directly with the people we support (e.g., providing casework, interpreting, house visits, or offering information and signposting). Others support our wider networks through events and fundraising, or work behind the scenes in Finance, Administration, Grant Writing, IT, and Communications.

We especially welcome volunteers with direct, first-hand experience of seeking sanctuary or migration, as well as second-generation migrants. If you do not meet all of the listed criteria for a specific role but are passionate about our work, we still encourage you to register your interest, as we are committed to providing ongoing support and training.

Why Volunteer With ASSIST?

Here are some of the things our community members value most about volunteering with us:

  • Join a community actively challenging the injustices of the UK migration system and the conditions forced upon people seeking sanctuary.
  • Deepen your understanding and learn firsthand about the complexities of the UK asylum system.
  • Receive dedicated support to learn, discover, and refine new skills.
  • Enjoy meaningful opportunities to influence and shape our ongoing work and services.
  • We intentionally work to build resilience and joyful, welcoming spaces as part of our collective empowerment.

No single experience is the same, and the rewards of volunteering grow with you!

What Support Can You Expect?

We are fully committed to ensuring our volunteers feel valued, safe, and confident in their roles. To support you on your journey with us, we provide:

  • Induction training and shadowing to get you settled in, as well as regular training opportunities tailored to your role
  • Volunteer social events and other ASSIST events
  • We cover travel expenses and other essential costs involved in the volunteer role
  • Regular check-ins
  • Opportunity to develop skills and experience towards employment if desired
  • Opportunity to change roles if desired
  • A mutually supportive environment with other volunteers and staff 

How To Apply?

Our active volunteer recruitment round is now closed, but we still accept rolling applications. Click the 'Apply now' button below to join our waiting list, and we will contact you when our next recruitment round opens.

  1. Fill out our online application form. Tell us which roles interest you, outline your relevant skills or life experience, and let us know why you’d like to join us. (Please note: Applicants must be 18 or over).
  2. We review all applications carefully. If your skills, experience, or interests align with an open role, we will invite you in for an informal chat.
  3. You will receive in-person training and a tailored induction to prepare you for your role.

We ask all applicants to provide us with the contact details of two referees: these can be people you know from work or volunteering, social or academic networks, community roles, or other responsibilities.

Certain roles, due to their nature, might additionally require a DBS check (i.e. a basic criminal record). This will always be explicitly stated in the role description and is paid for entirely by ASSIST.

Volunteer Training

Continuous learning is core to our community. Once you have accepted a role, you'll be required to attend our induction programme, which includes an Introduction to ASSIST (online at your own pace), as well as training on Confidentiality, Safeguarding, and Boundaries. You will also receive role-specific training where relevant, such as for Casework or Helpdesk volunteering roles.

Open Roles

While we recruit in cycles for many of our team roles, the following opportunities are always open and represent an ongoing, urgent need in our community:

Host a Person Seeking Sanctuary

We are looking for compassionate individuals with a spare room to provide a safe, welcoming space for people seeking asylum who are at risk of homelessness. No one should be forced to sleep on our streets.

ASSIST ensures that both hosts and clients have all the support and advice they need. We provide dedicated, expert guidance throughout the entire hosting journey, alongside full access to our wider hosting network for peer connection and community solidarity. Please contact us at volunteer@assistsheffield.org.uk to find out more.

Experienced and Skilled Maintenance & DIY Volunteers

Are you handy with a toolkit and ready to put your practical skills to good use? Our Skilled Maintenance and DIY volunteers are vital to keeping our properties safe, functional, and welcoming for those seeking asylum.

We are looking for reliable, experienced individuals to help with general repairs, property upkeep, and ensuring our houses remain of a high standard. Your dedication will foster dignity, providing stable living conditions that tackle the root causes of asylum destitution. Ready to help? Please get in touch at volunteer@assistsheffield.org.uk if you are interested. 

Questions?

If you have any questions or simply want an informal chat about what it’s like to volunteer with us, please don't hesitate to get in touch:

 

I have absolutely loved my time at ASSIST! It has been so helpful to me personally because it has shown me that I may want to specialise in immigration and asylum law in the future. All the volunteers are absolutely lovely as well :) - ASSIST volunteer

I was impressed by the team structure at ASSIST and the fact that they have defined task profiles for volunteers. It meant I could fit in quickly and start doing stuff that really helps. - ASSIST volunteer

I've learnt how an office works and I've gained more confidence - I've been able to interact with people of different backgrounds. It's been good work experience and will help me towards getting a job. - ASSIST volunteer

I don't have any qualifications here or in my home country, but now I see myself as important. People call me, ask me things - I'm important in this society. - ASSIST volunteer