As Refugee Support undergoes a change in leadership with the appointment of a new CEO, we bid a heartfelt farewell to our co-founder and departing Chief Executive, Paul Hutchings. Together with John Sloan, Paul established the organization in 2016, offering a platform for proactive engagement to numerous individuals in the UK, Europe, and beyond. These individuals were deeply moved and frustrated by governmental shortcomings in safeguarding refugees amidst the escalating war in Syria. In this concluding episode of Season 2, Paul, typically the interviewer, takes on the role of interviewee as he engages in a conversation with Rachel Ellis, the newly appointed Chief Executive of Refugee Support Europe.

Joe and Tasha have done a lot of travelling and a lot of volunteering. Those used to be separate activities. Now they actively seek out volunteering opportunities when they have some time off to travel. They see somewhere new, do something good, meet great people and have more enriching experiences together. Some 'voluntourism' is rightly criticised for milking travellers, exploiting host communities and feeding white saviour narratives but choose the right place to help with the right organisation (like Refugee Support) and it's a massive win for everyone.

As volunteers, we want to know how to change people's minds. But the road to changing minds about migration is a challenging one. As the co-founder of Migration Matters, Sophia and her team are challenging the sensationalized narratives around the so-called refugee crisis while advocating for a more inclusive, research-based conversation. We explore the role of evidence, stories, and appealing to people's values in advocacy work. Balancing power while sharing stories is key, and so is countering biases with research and evidence. With educational video series, workshops, and dialogue events, Migration Matters are bridging the gap between the public and the scholars, offering evidence-based perspectives on the pressing issue of migration.

Maria has been one of our Coordinators in Moldova and Cyprus for the last 5 months and we are very sorry to see her go! She has been critical in helping our organisation do what it does and of course got a lot out of it herself. Working with us in Moldova was special because of her Moldvan heritage, and she enjoyed working in Cyprus as a forgotten hotspot where we can have a big impact. She has worked with well over 100 volunteers and learnt from all of them. But what makes a great volunteer? The best ones are humble, offer ideas and get involved in whatever is useful at that time. Especially useful are people who can help with teamwork and group dynamics. None of us should ashamed of enjoying their volunteering but we need to think about our motivations. We talk about why that is critical. Not only do we need to ask what we are taking from the experience, and we need to be very cautious about how much we are taking from the people we are supporting.

In this episode, Paul talks to our new (returning) trustee Bea about her personal journey and the challenges and benefits of volunteering. From volunteering in Greece, to being our first trustee, to a trustee for a community sponsorship scheme, to our trustee again, she highlights the positive impact volunteering has had on her and the communities she serves. We also talk about the importance of maintaining hope and empathy towards those in need. With a focus on balancing commitments and staying true to the cause, this podcast is a must-listen for anyone interested in making a positive difference in their community. Gain valuable insights to help you become a better volunteer and community member. Volunteering pros/cons, personal experiences Pros/cons of settling a refugee family Positive impact of community sponsorship, political activism Importance of maintaining hope/empathy Volunteering benefits for personal growth/society Selfish motivations behind altruism

Gerry is one of our Ambassadors and first volunteered with Refugee Support in 2019. He has returned every year since then to help out. Each time, it can take a couple of weeks to adjust back to normal life but after that he has a huge sense of positivity and a desire to continue. He finds working with likeminded people, whatever their age, and getting things done extremely satisfying. And volunteering with us isn’t all that Gerry does. He also serves as a volunteer on the board of a thriving local credit union and with his local church. The most inspiring thing for us is the strength of Gerry’s community. He lives in a village in rural Ireland who have all got behind his volunteering. Together, they have raised an astonishing €100,000 over the last 4 years for Refugee Support. Gerry and his community are an example to us all and show how helping others helps them.

Rosie has been regularly volunteering for The Samaritans or 10 years. She shares with Paul a history in market research and thought that experience would make her good at being a Samaritan. She was surprised to discover that she needed to develop a whole new range of skills. She gives us a fascinating insight into the Samaritan way of working and what it is like to be a Samaritan, a volunteering role she loves. Listening to others about their lives has real power. It isn’t selfless. It’s insightful. The conversations she’s had have revealed important aspects about herself and about how she sees the world, particularly her own biases. And it’s sociable. It’s so beneficial, you have to wonder if it is altruistic at all.

Mariam talks movingly and very honestly about her identity as a young woman from a displaced family and the journey that her volunteering set her on.  Her family are from Afghanistan. So while volunteering has always been a big part of her life, the emotional difficulties and rewards of volunteering in the Nicosia Dignity Centre took her by surprise. About 30% of the members there are refugees from Afghanistan. As a Farsi speaker, Mariam spent a lot of time serving Afghans at the Centre. This forced her to confront her own privilege and the pain of people who she shares a culture and history with.  She really helped the Afghan members who were there. And they opened her eyes to a side of herself that she had been suppressing or unable to articulate.

Natasha, a Ukrainian ethnic Russian, was living in Odesa at the time of the invasion in February 2022 but left within a month to escape the air raids and be with her parents in Moldova.  Looking for a better life, she travelled to Austria with other Ukrainian families and found herself in Insbruck with food and shelter but without the things that give life meaning.  A born helper, well-travelled and a gifted, multi-lingual communicator, she played a key role with the group’s orientation, language learning and employment. This volunteering was difficult but also very satisfying. As she said, it “helped me to survive and not to get crazy”. She is now living in Moldova and volunteering at the welcoming Chisinau Dignity Centre where she has found another fulfilling role, supporting people who have lost everything in a place that gives them so much.  By helping people like her, Natasha talks movingly about how she is helping herself. Please listen   

Holly Penalver founded Indigo Volunteers 10 years ago to offer an ethical route for people who want to help. Indigo has been one of our key partners since we were founded by providing us with our most important resource – volunteers! But Indigo is more than that – it is at the heart of a support network helping another 50 grass-roots organisations, across 10 countries and in total has supplied about 3,500 people. We talk about what a huge missed opportunity it is that larger NGOs don’t use more volunteers. And what a beautiful thing it is for people to come together and enjoy volunteering. That should be something to celebrate! But volunteering can be an isolating experience, it exposes your inability to help with everything and it can be extra tough when you return.