FUNDED OVERSEAS VOLUNTEERING OPPORTUNITIES
The International Youth Volunteering Programme (IYVP) at the British Red Cross is pleased to be able to offer three 12-month volunteering placements in Iceland, starting in September 2021.
As part of the European Solidarity Corps scheme, we offer young people aged 18-30 residing in the UK the chance to volunteer overseas with our partner Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies. All of our placements are fully funded, with travel, accommodation, health insurance costs covered, and volunteers receive a small monthly allowance to cover additional expenses.
This is the perfect opportunity for those interested in gaining valuable skills, having new experiences and giving back to the community. The personal and professional skills developed on these placements (independence, resilience, working with vulnerable people, etc), as well as the opportunity to travel around a new country and create connections with people from different walks of life are extremely beneficial for any young person looking to start a career in this sector or similar.
We are keen to hear from individuals, especially those who do not normally get the chance to volunteer overseas, who are passionate and motivated for this kind of work, but who also understand that these types of placements require adaptability and resilience, especially in the current challenging climate.
Placement Details
We are looking to recruit three volunteers to support the work of the Icelandic Red Cross for 12-months (September 2021 - August 2022). The placements will be in or around Reykjavik, Iceland.
The volunteers will be working in one out of two projects available. Please let us know in the application form which placement you prefer.
The two placements are:
1) Refugee Support (two volunteers) The volunteers will support with two different projects: The Refugee Guide Project – where refugees are paired with Icelandic volunteers for extra assistance for 6 months and a project where the volunteers will organise social events for asylum seekers. The aim of the project is to help refugees have a positive experience in Iceland and reduce social exclusion.
2) Asylum Support (one volunteer) This team supports asylum seekers in two different locations through weekly social activities. The volunteer will help to plan and run these activities alongside staff and volunteers. This role requires a high level of independence, and please note the role is only open to those aged 24-30 due to the nature of the activity.
For more details on the roles and the type of person we are looking for, have a look at the role description below. The main thing we want to see is your motivation for this placement
If you’re not sure where to start with the application form, you can use our handout here to see what we’re looking for.
Role Descriptions
UPDATE: There has been a new role description issued for the Refugee Support role. This is due to recent changes within the Icelandic Red Cross. You can find it here.
Additional Information
We are an inclusive programme and believe diversity drives innovation! So we are committed to achieving inclusion across ethnicity, gender, age, religion, identity, and experience and welcome applications from a range of backgrounds.
Due to our new relationship with the European Union, we will need to apply for a visa for you to volunteer in Iceland. The British Red Cross and our Icelandic partners will guide and support you through this process and will reimburse any costs related to this.
We are also closely monitoring the coronavirus pandemic in accordance with Erasmus+, UK and Icelandic guidance and will inform candidates of any changes to the programme if necessary.
Deadline Wednesday 5th May 2021 Please note that only UK residents can apply for this role. Remote interviews will be held for this position in the weeks following the deadline. If you are selected for interview, please let us know if you need any additional support to attend.
Do you have any questions? Send us an email at IYVP@redcross.org.uk and we'll be happy to help.