Everything you need to know in one place
Answers to your questions about volunteering, donating and supporting Refugee Support Europe.
General FAQ
Yes, we are regulated by the Charity Commission of England & Wales and have been registered with them since 2016. Our number is 1174070. You can look us up on their website.
We currently have operations in Cyprus and Moldova but we spent over 3 years working on 8 refugee camps in Greece. We also spent 4 months in Bangladesh supporting the Rohinya and a month in Mexico on the US border. We’ve also sponsored and resettled a refugee family from South Sudan into the UK.
There are many things about us that we think are unique but here are three of the most important ones. We’ve always set up effective support operations within weeks of a crisis developing. We put dignity at the heart of everything we do. It’s not what we give but how we give that is important. And finally, volunteers are our lifeblood – for their energy, enthusiasm, desire to help and ideas about how to improve.
Volunteering FAQ
No, the only skill you need is a smile. Apply to be a volunteer today. Having said that we are looking for people at least 18 years of age in Moldova and UK and at least 21 in Cyprus, who are able to:
- Focus on the tasks and do whatever is needed
- Be a team player
- Work hard and be keen to help
- Fundraise for the projects
- Remain cheerful when it gets tough
- Be assertive and resilient
We’re all about being responsive and flexible so we will only book volunteers from about 3 months ahead. You can apply here. You can see the current availability above.
More than 1,800 people, from 40 nations, aged up to 78 years old have worked with us as volunteers in Greece, Bangladesh, Mexico, Moldova and Cyprus. They have worked in some of the most challenging circumstances, so we know how you can be effective and how to look after your welfare.
We work in safe environments but we have created a specific policy for working in Moldova to manage specific risks there.
We need you to be at least 18 in Moldova and UK. Cyprus is a little more challenging so we need people to be at least 21. There is no upper age limit!
Yes – around 1,800 people from 40 nations have volunteered with us in Greece, Bangladesh, Mexico. Moldova and Cyprus and they have all started helping from the first day they have arrived. After all this time and all those people, we know how you can be effective. We have trained and professional Coordinators in each location and we respond to what people want. About 30% of our volunteers come back and volunteer more than once.
Each one is different, catering for a different group of people at a different point in their journey. Here is a handy table so you can compare the key differences at a glance.
Where you go depends on you – as long as we have availability and we think you understand the pressures, you are welcome to choose.
Yes – we have been doing this for a long time and have competent, trained Coordinators who will make sure you are safe.
We are more vigilant in Moldova because Ukraine is a neighbouring country at war and there are tensions. We will leave in the unlikely event of risks to personal safety and know that we will get plenty of notice before that is necessary.
You will need to pay for your own travel to the location and accommodation. You will find many cheap flights to places we go and we can offer cheap accommodation. Currently it is €15 a night in Chisinau and in Nicosia.
There may be a lot of essential routine, but no two days are ever the same.
We need to provide the best possible support for the people we’re helping but you’ll find it extremely rewarding. Meet our volunteers and read their experiences.
It is an unforgettable experience and you will be doing good from the moment you arrive. Please apply – you will not regret it.
When you volunteer you become a member of a friendly and supportive community.
If you’d like to talk to someone about the volunteer experience before you decide we can put you in touch with someone who has been there and done it (and even has one of our stylish Refugee Support Europe t-shirts to prove it).
We can advise about travel to and low-cost accommodation in the areas where our volunteers work.
Friendships among volunteers tend to form quickly, so there’s nearly always a group to have lunch with and join up with in the evenings to share a meal and swap stories about the day’s events.
If you would like to volunteer with us, please read the Code-of-Conduct and our Safeguarding Policy (both important documents), before completing our Volunteer Agreement and Application.
After completing the application, you will get an email reply (check your spam folder) asking you to schedule a time to video chat to one of our Volunteer Interviewers.
Donation FAQ
Yes, in addition to the website, Paypal, Facebook and Justgiving you can transfer money direct to our account:
Name: Refugee Support Europe
Sort Code: 20-88-13
Account No: 63588343
SWIFTBIC: BUKBGB22
IBAN: GB28 BUKB 2088 1363 5883 43
Most of our spending goes on the food and hygiene items that we know people want, and then the infrastructure needed to offer it to those people with dignity. If you would like the money to go on something we currently spend on, we can guarantee that We will consider requests for spending on something else but only if it fits our objectives.
The proportion varies from year to year depending on the extent of our emergency work. Anyone who has volunteered with us knows how careful we are with our spending. Not only do we have a team of about 5-6 volunteers in each Centre at any one time, we also have nearly 50 volunteers working behind the scenes to help run the organisation. As a registered charity, all our annual accounts are publicly available from the Charity Commission website.