Volunteer Information
Thank you for your interest in volunteering. Our volunteers are at the heart of Bail for Immigration Detainees (BID). Everything we do is strengthened by the time, skills and commitment of people who choose to support our work. If you care about human rights and access to justice, we would love to hear from you.
Why volunteer with BID
Every year, thousands of people are held in immigration detention in the UK. Detention can last for months or even years. There is no automatic legal advice, and many people have to prepare their own bail applications without help.
Your contribution supports our work providing free legal information and advice, as well as helping us raise awareness and support our wider communications and fundraising efforts.
Communications and Fundraising Volunteering
We welcome volunteers who have communications or fundraising skills, or who simply want to learn and try something new. This is a meaningful opportunity to gain hands on experience at a charity working to challenge the injustice of immigration detention.
As a Communications and Fundraising Volunteer, you may help with the following activities:
- Supporting campaigns and events
- Creating guides and materials for people in detention
- Writing and editing content for our website or newsletters
- Supporting social media and digital communications
- Assisting with fundraising activities and communications planning
You do not need previous experience in fundraising or the charity sector. What matters most is enthusiasm, care for human rights, and a willingness to learn.
Useful skills and experience:
- Lived experience of the UK immigration system
- Fundraising or communications experience
- Digital skills, including social media, Microsoft Office or graphic design
- Strong written communication
- Experience writing for different audiences
- Confidence conducting client interviews
- Experience organising events
- Knowledge of the UK asylum, immigration or detention systems
- Fluent written and spoken English
- Passion, openness to feedback and a desire to grow
If you are not sure you meet everything, please still consider applying.
Confidentiality
Many of the people who contact BID are vulnerable. Volunteers must follow BID’s confidentiality policy at all times. You will receive this policy before you start.
Attendance and Commitment
Volunteers commit to specific days or hours so that we can plan our rota. If your availability changes, please let us know as soon as possible. If you choose to stop volunteering, we appreciate notice so that we can plan ahead.
Location
Most volunteering takes place in our office. The nearest station is Finsbury Park, about a five minute walk.
Expenses
BID will pay out-of-pocket travel expenses from home to the office and for travel undertaken in the course of volunteering such as training and meetings up to a maximum of £15 per day. We need the receipts for your travel in order to reimburse you. We ask that volunteers buy the cheapest tickets possible for their travel.
If you are undertaking a full-time placement (4 or 5 days per week) it may be cheaper to buy a weekly travel card. If this is the case for you, please speak to us about how to arrange being reimbursed.
If your travel costs from your home to the BID office are more than £15 per day, we need to check whether or not we will be able to reimburse you before taking you on as a volunteer.
To claim your expenses, expenses forms are available via our volunteer management app. Complete the form and attach copies of your ticket(s) to the forms and email them to finance@biduk.org.
BID does not pay lunch expenses.
References
We ask volunteers to provide two referees who know you well. They do not need to be employers. Tutors, community leaders or people who know you through voluntary work are all suitable.
Equal Opportunities
BID seeks to ensure that no prospective or existing employee or volunteer receives less favourable treatment on the grounds of age, race, social background, gender, sexual orientation, colour, disability, nationality, ethnic origin, marital status or religion.
BID is committed to taking positive action to fight discrimination in all areas of its work including in taking instructions and providing advice, assistance and representation, in instructing counsel and other third parties, and in providing services. As an anti-racist organisation, BID is committed to taking positive steps as an employer to create increased opportunities for groups traditionally disadvantaged by reason of race, colour, ethnic or national origin.
Ready to volunteer
We would love to welcome you to the team. Please note we recruit volunteers on a rolling basis, with applications considered as volunteer positions become available.
Please complete the sign-up form below to apply.
