Alice
When did you start volunteering?
I started volunteering in 2022, right after recovering from Covid. I doubt there could have been a better way to bring my smile back!
How did you hear about us?
I was new to the area and wanted to continue working with an organisation centred on this kind of work so I started reaching out to folks I knew and researching places and someone along the way suggested ICRM. And it was the perfect place for me.
Which sessions do you assist with and how do you help Islington Centre?
I mainly work with the sessions that have to do with music and movement. If I’m lucky I even get to lead once in a while. And then there is chatting away with folks during lunch.
Why do you volunteer?
I’ve always been drawn to working with people. I am inspired to build community and to connect with others wherever I can, especially when it comes to performance, teaching and socialising! It’s actually pretty selfish because I feel that the need to share with others is what keeps me grounded and I feel a great sense of belonging when I am surrounded by people who are open to exchanging some of their lives with me.
Over the years I have done many theatre projects with refugees, migrants and immigrants. I love how much I’ve learned about other people’s journeys, cultures, families, and histories. I also feel that we all share the intrinsic need to exchange, to be seen, and to tell our stories. I hope as a volunteer that I can help facilitate these needs being fulfilled, even for a brief moment – over a cup of tea, a song or dancing together.
Tell us about your role in coordinating the anniversary event on 30th November 2022.
This came out of a few conversations and has now grown to be something that I’m super excited to be helping to shape. The aim is to invite current and new supporters of the Centre into our world for an evening that is both fun and purposeful. Of course, we hope to raise as much money as possible for the work the organisation is doing but it is also about the visibility of all those involved with the Centre.
During this post-lockdown shift, it is important to remind the local community of why we are here, why this work is vital and who this organisation serves. It is equally paramount that we showcase the talents, interests, stories and joy found in and around the Centre, spanning the clients, the partners, the volunteers, the staff, and the board. Folks should expect delicious food, drinks, a silent auction, art, poetry, and performance in what promises to be an unforgettable evening. We are finding that the process of building this event is also bringing us closer together as well.
What has been your favourite ever moment at Islington Centre?
I’m terrible with absolutes and choosing favourites but I will say that one of the best things I can remember is dancing together during the movement sessions. Sweaty and smiling, we are all in the same boat – teaching and following, listening and belonging.
Misha
When did you start volunteering?
I started volunteering at ICRM in 2022.
Which sessions do you help with and how do you help Islington Centre?
I volunteer for the Lawyers Against Poverty ‘Community Legal Confidence Programme: Refugee Rights’ sessions. I provide a series of workshops to members of the community who are asylum seekers or refugees. This is to offer information on their human rights as individuals, including non-discrimination, equality, socio-economic rights (from the right to access education, food, water, housing, healthcare, and work to welfare benefits), and civil and political rights (from freedom of expression to the right
to a fair trial).
I also offer information on refugee status determination and international protection procedures, including family reunification. I open up the workshops to discuss non-legal information on policies, practices, research, and
campaigns which impact human rights.
Why do you volunteer?
I volunteer because I strongly believe all of the community have a right to live in dignity, safety, and security. I am passionate about supporting individuals in upholding their rights. We should all have equal opportunity to know what our rights are, and how we can use them.
How did you hear about us?
I heard about ICRM through Lawyers Against Poverty.
What has been your favourite ever moment at Islington Centre?
We adapt the workshops according to the interests and needs of the people attending. One session was on the UK Government’s announcement of the Migration and Economic Development Partnership with Rwanda (MEDP). This proposes a model which externalises the UK’s legal obligations to people seeking asylum in the country, and undermines the international refugee protection system.
We learnt from each other in the sessions, sharing insights on personal and professional experiences. We shared resources and discussed the problems and solutions in response to the MEDP. I find in every session, and in particular this session, ICRM brings together and empowers so many people. I am privileged to volunteer at the centre.
Rosemary
When did you start volunteering?
2016.
Which sessions do you help with? or How do you help Islington Centre?
I assist with English language lessons online and at ICRM open days. I recently launched a refugee support group with the Islington University of the Third Age (iU3A) which helps to recruit volunteers for the centre.
Why do you volunteer?
I volunteer because I want to make asylum seekers and refugees feel welcome in the UK and help to pave the way for their integration here. Refugees and asylum seekers have the same fundamental rights to safety and protection as anyone else and I want to help them realise their human rights. I believe that the gift of language is a very practical response to one of the world’s most tragic humanitarian crises – the global flight of refugees. You don’t have a voice if you don’t know the language. It is key to rebuilding a new life here.
Some actions can only be taken by governments, but I know that much can be achieved by volunteers to assist those who have survived such devastating inhumanity. Aside from that, I really enjoy meeting the centre’s clients and learning about their cultures. Their resilience never ceases to amaze me.
How did you hear about us?
At an event held at St Mary’s Church, Islington for refugee organisations. I met Anya there and have been volunteering ever since.
What has been your favourite ever moment at Islington Centre?
There have been many special and heart-warming moments at the centre, but the most recent highlight was watching our clients perform There and Here, a dance, song, music and poetry event they created with the Protein Dance Company. I was privileged to participate in some of the rehearsals. When it was performed at The Place theatre, There and Here received standing ovations.
I am impressed by ICRM and the impact that a small organisation has on the lives of so many people. I am proud to volunteer for the centre and for one of its partners Speak Street.
Gary
When did you start volunteering with the Islington Centre?
August 2017.
Which sessions do you help with?
Working on the Reception desk/ Registration of clients/ also a volunteer role as an English language class assistant. [Working alongside the lead teachers to support the clients with their English language needs at ICRM and Speak Street].
Why do you volunteer?
When I retired, I wanted to continue to make a worthwhile social contribution, so I decided to train to teach English to immigrants, refugees and asylum seekers.
In the nineteenth century, my paternal great-grandparents and maternal grandfather came to the U.K. as Jewish immigrants from Europe, seeking a better life for themselves and their families. So, I also wanted to give immigrants in the U.K. today similar opportunities to participate more fully in society.
I really love being on the volunteer team. Although it can sometimes be quite challenging, it is also extremely rewarding to meet, work with and learn from different people from all over the world and help them in whatever modest way I can.
After retirement, I have been fortunate enough to rediscover a sense of purpose, goal and aim in life, together with a positive day to day structure.
It is truly humbling to see all the hard work and dedication of the small number of ICRM staff members and the miracles they have performed, on a very limited budget, to support our clients throughout the 15 months of the pandemic; and in providing a full timetable of all our activities that can be accessed online.
The Centre is a very special place and it’s equally a very special privilege to volunteer here. ICRM gives me far more in return than I can ever contribute to the Centre.
How did you hear about us?
After I finished the CELTA course, I was searching online for any suitable ESOL post.s to apply for. By sheer good fortune, I happened upon the ICRM!
Islington Centre for Refugees and Migrants 