The importance of volunteering
Volunteering is a powerful way to create positive change for both individuals and communities. It strengthens social connections, builds confidence, develops new skills, and often opens doors to new opportunities
This week marks Volunteers’ Week, an annual UK-wide campaign to celebrate and recognise the contributions of volunteers. Volunteering is a powerful way to create positive change for both individuals and communities. It strengthens social connections, builds confidence, develops new skills, and often opens doors to new opportunities. Volunteers play a vital role in supporting essential services, especially in the charity sector, and their contributions help build more compassionate, resilient, and inclusive communities.
Volunteering at RMC
“Volunteering at RMC was a natural next step for me- to do my little bit and to continue to grow as a human being in a world in conflict, but also with hope.”
RMC is powered by a diverse team of staff, volunteers, and students who join together to support our mission in supporting refugees and migrants navigating life in the UK. Our volunteer work is overseen by our dedicated Volunteering and Training Manager. We aim to provide meaningful opportunities to our volunteers, meeting the growing demand for structured support, revolving around mentorship and training to enhance skillsets.
Each volunteer and student at RMC are allocated a staff mentor who guides them to personal and professional growth. Mentors guide their volunteers through a variety of tasks to develop valuable skills, aid them to grow in confidence, and work towards their goals.
Our organisation is an open-door service, focused on the evolving needs of our beneficiaries. From the very start of the volunteering journey, volunteers gain insights on organisation’s work including direct support experience, critical thinking, problem-solving, and emotional intelligence. At RMC we currently offer 8 different roles including ESOL tutor, advisor and admin support.
Volunteering at RMC is designed to create a two-way impact journey that is both personally enriching and meaningful. Volunteers are core to the delivery our key objectives day-to-day.
Who are our volunteers?
Our volunteers come from an array of diverse experiences, cultures, and perspectives, each with unique personal, cultural, and professional backgrounds. Some bring first-hand understanding and experience of conflict, persecution, or displacement. Others contribute through individuals’ life experiences shaped by different languages, professions, and national identities. What unites them is a shared commitment to RMC’s mission.
This rich diversity strengthens our ability to understand and respond to the complex and multifaceted needs of our beneficiaries. It enriches our level of support available, embedding cultural sensitivity, providing additional language support and strengthening the quality and depth of services we offer.
Training opportunities
Many of our beneficiaries being survivors of trauma facing challenges from mental illnesses like anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), or the psychological distress of displacement. Recognising these realities RMC regularly conducts timely training sessions alongside other internal and external training programmes to equip our volunteers with the tools they need to provide compassionate and competent support to address the human element of migration experiences.
As part of this commitment, all volunteers are encouraged to undergo training to become Mental Health First Aiders offered by our in-house trainers. This training teaches to recognise signs of psychological distress, offer immediate and appropriate support, and build trainees confidence to respond to individuals in crisis with empathy and care. In doing so, our volunteers become not only advocates and guides, but also safe and understanding points of contact for those navigating the lasting impact of forced migration and trauma.
“My motivation to volunteer at the RMC comes from the belief that migration is not only a legal process but also an emotional journey, which many individuals struggle with. Additionally, there are many steps after migrating to the UK where people need support, especially when they are in vulnerable situations. It is an opportunity to help someone. Even small support can change lives for the better. Being a law student requires me to read beyond my course content. When focusing on immigration law, I began to see the struggles that people go through. It made me feel truly empathetic, and I wanted to know how I could help.”
Thank you to all our volunteers
Volunteers are a vital part of RMC. Their time, skills, and kindness make a real difference to the people we support and to our work every day. Whether they are teaching, giving advice, or supporting with a project, volunteers help create a more welcoming and caring community. We are proud of all they do.
Read more about volunteering through the following stories:
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