The Middle Eastern Women and Society Organisation (MEWSo) is a women’s charity run by and for women from migrant and ethnic minority backgrounds. The majority of the communities we serve are from Middle Eastern, North African, and Asian backgrounds. Human equality is at the heart of MEWSo. Our programmes and campaigns aim to support and empower women to step up for their rights, including women from the LGBTQ+ community.

We are looking for a dedicated volunteer to support our LGBTQ+ officer with facilitating and planning workshops and focus groups in person and via Zoom for LGBTQ+ people from ethnic minority backgrounds. We particularly encourage applications from people who belong to the LGBTQ+ community.

Time commitment: 3-4 hours per week for at least five months.

Location: This role is based at our Westminster office (NW8 8PT) and some tasks can be done remotely (subject to agreement with the project officer).

Who can be a LGBTQ+ Volunteer?

To be a LGBTQ+ volunteer you must be over 18 years old and identify yourself as either Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans*, Queer or Questioning your sexual orientation and/or gender identity.

Main Duties:

1- Carry out administrative duties as requested by the project officer, such as ensuring all paperwork is completed correctly and signed by service users.

2- Assist the project officer with organising the workshops and preparing delivery materials and activities if needed.

3- Provide signposting information when needed.

4- Support with promotional activities to increase referrals into the LGBTQ+ project.

We are a small and dedicated team with big ambitions.  This is a great opportunity for anyone interested in building their experience, developing their skills and supporting our services.

Skills, attributes and experience required:

No previous work experience is required; however, we are looking for a LGBTQ+ volunteer who:

-Has a genuine interest in being part of the mission and vision of MEWSo.

-Has good English communication skills.

-Can make the required time commitment.

-Can work flexibly with enthusiasm and dedication.

-Has good organisational skills and knowledge of the current issues affecting LGBTQ+ people.

-Is willing to undergo a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check if required for the role (MEWSo will cover the cost of the DBS)

Desirable:

-Previous volunteering experience with women or Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) communities.

-Can speak one of the community languages in addition to English (e.g. Farsi/Dari, Arabic, Turkish, Kurdish, etc.)

What do volunteers gain from volunteering with us?

-They will gain work experience in the charity sector and feel part of a highly motivated and professional team.

– They will contribute to our mission of empowering LGBTQ+ people and changing their lives for the better.

-They will have ongoing support and supervision by MEWSo staff, besides different learning and development opportunities to enhance their skills and knowledge.

-They will also receive certificates of recognition and references to support their professional development.

– Reasonable travel expenses are reimbursed with proof of journey.

Next Steps: If you think you could help us, we would love to hear from you! Please complete the below application form:

https://forms.gle/8V736yrW2WDMAPjh6

The volunteering team at MEWSo will get in touch within five working days of receiving the application.

If you have any questions about this role or want more information about volunteering at MEWSo in general, please email Loris at [email protected] .