Training A Right to a Voice volunteers Tuesday, March 31, 2009 - 10:11

A Right to a Voice continued gathering momentum with a training and support session of groups of volunteers, in London on Friday 27 April 2009.

After successful meetings with key agencies in the refugee sector, the NIACE campaign moved forward with its Training the Trainers day.

Training the Trainers brought together experienced teachers and practitioners who can support volunteers.

Refugee Council, Refugee Action and other agencies are working with NIACE to develop volunteering aspects of this campaign. Volunteers will work with asylum seekers - especially in the crucial first six months when they enter the UK and do not have access to government funded ESOL provision.

At the end of the day a six month programme of learning activities for asylum seekers was agreed, including:

• A programme
• Learning activities
• Materials
• Sources for free materials

Throughout April sites will be established across London. A key person in each site will recruit 12-20 asylum seekers who will attend for 6 months and NIACE will:

• recruit and train more volunteers and refer them to the centres
• support the volunteers by email, with good ideas for adult teaching and learning activities and appropriate learning materials
• visit regularly to support the volunteers and the groups

This was the first Training the Trainers day, others will follow. If you are interested in getting involved with this campaign please email chris.taylor@niace.org.uk