My Month on Placement with Upbeat Communities

Phoebe joined us for a month on a university placement. She shared some of her experiences…

Hi, I’m Phoebe and I have just finished a one month volunteer placement at Upbeat Communities. I always admired those who gave up an hour or two of their week to serve their community. Being a student, I have a significant amount of time during the summer, so when Einir (Upbeat Staff) suggested doing a placement, I was excited!

I have always had a heart for justice and often felt comfortable being with people who lived in difficult circumstances. While I knew that I wanted to work in the criminal justice system, I had never before considered working with refugees or asylum seekers.

From the first day, I was interacting with people from around the world. I quickly discovered how someone’s culture is often conveyed through conversation, regardless of their level of English. I have always been someone who loves to explore new cultures and places. Working in the Integration Hub, I became accustomed to multiple languages being spoken and different cultures being expressed, all in the same room!

While it felt a little chaotic at times, I loved the constant buzz. I often found myself tuning in to different languages and asking about the meaning of certain phrases – a good conversation starter!

Another highlight has been the one-to-one interactions I have had with certain people. Normally, when chatting to someone with little English, I would slow my speech and gesticulate quite a lot. However, during my first week of English classes, I met an Iranian guy who is blind and has little English. Talking to him was a completely different experience as I had to think of other ways of explaining something without pointing or gesturing.

During one of the classes, we were talking about the position of items, so I gave him my coffee cup and, while he was holding it, moved his hand about into different positions so that he could feel where the cup was in relation to him. This was, by far, the most I have ever thought about communication. While it was a challenge, I found this to be a fascinating experience.

Lastly, this placement has given me important insight into the lives of refugees in the UK. I had very little understanding of the procedures involved in gaining refugee status and the reality for those who don’t. During the Welcome Box visits I met two women who had both left their children behind and were living in shared houses. Their rooms were very small and on the first visit, we had to avoid mouse traps placed around the bedroom. I found this incredibly heart-breaking, that someone would flee their country and leave everything behind only to be offered refuge in such a place.

Having gained better understanding about the reality for many refugees, I have greater respect for all that they have to endure, and the resilience they show every day, in incredible ways.

Phoebe — Upbeat Volunteer

To apply to volunteer or do a placement with us, head to upbeatcommunities.org/volunteer