We often need volunteers to support us on specific projects and to help out with our advice service and office administration. You will receive training and regular supervision to enable you to carry out these tasks, but we do look for people who are strongly committed to the issues we work on.
You will need to be able to volunteer for one day a week and for a minimum of three months. We cover volunteers’ travel and lunch costs.
Outreach volunteers
We need two volunteer Outreach Workers to promote our services to communities and professionals. You will work with IKWRO’s Outreach Officer to deliver outreach activities, and will distribute information about IKWRO’s services to clinics, colleges, libraries etc. You will also liaise with community organisations and public services.
The successful candidate will:
- Relate and communicate with people effectively
- Be comfortable working with different types of people
You will need at least one year of work experience. Speaking Farsi/Dari, Kurdish, Turkish or Arabic is desirable.
Farsi speaking advice volunteer
Our Farsi-speaking Advisor is seeking volunteers to assist her in providing support to vulnerable women and girls. Key tasks will include taking basic details and statements from women and providing basic information about our service; writing letters on behalf of clients to local authorities, housing, solicitors, etc; helping women to find emergency accommodation; accompanying women to external appointments (e.g. hospital, housing, solicitors, etc) and translating for them where necessary. You will also undertake administrative tasks which are needed for the smooth running of our advice service.
The successful candidate will:
- Have a university degree in a relevant subject or/and relevant training
- Have knowledge of the types of services which are available to meet women’s needs
- Be aware of equal opportunities and the importance of confidentiality
You should also have excellent interpersonal and communication skills, be able to write, speak and read both in Farsi and English. You should be well organised and able to manage you own workload. Work experience with vulnerable adults and children is not essential but desirable.
Kurdish and Arabic speaking advice volunteers
Our Kurdish (Sorani) and Arabic speaking Advisor is seeking volunteers to assist her in providing support to vulnerable women and girls. Key tasks will include taking basic details and statements from women and providing basic information about our service; writing letters on behalf of clients; helping women to find emergency accommodation; accompanying women to external appointments (e.g. hospital, legal etc), and translating for them where necessary and completing administrative tasks which are needed for the smooth running of our advice service
Volunteers for this role should have the following attributes:
- A good level of spoken Kurdish (Sorani) or Arabic as well as good written and spoken English
- An understanding of violence against women issues and a commitment to IKWRO’s mission and values
- Good listening and communication skills
- A strong commitment to confidentiality and to supporting women survivors of violence in a non judgemental way
- Basic IT and office skills, the ability to work as part of a team and to use their initiative
Volunteer translators
We are also looking for volunteers who can help to translate materials including our newsletter and parts of our website into Farsi/Dari, Kurdish, Arabic and Turkish. If you are fluent in one or more of these languages and in English, and have some translation skills, we would like to hear from you. Translation can be done at home on a flexible basis.
If you are interested in volunteering for us please complete the IKWRO volunteer application formand email it to admin.ikwro@gmail.com. When an appropriate opportunity comes up we will call you for an interview.
Occasionally we need volunteers with research qualifications or skills to take on small pieces of research relating specifically to our work. If you are a researcher and are interested in volunteering for us please send the application form with a covering email detailing any particular areas of interest.
Please note that we are generally unable to respond to requests by students asking us to take part in research projects outside our immediate programme of work.
