Sheffield Association for the Voluntary Teaching of English (SAVTE) has started recruiting for new conversation group volunteers.
For the past 50 years, the charity has helped people new to the country to develop functional English to build new lives in Sheffield.
This helps learners to carry out simple tasks that may be taken for granted but cannot be done without a basic grasp of English. For example, it may help someone to be able to catch a bus by themselves.
Polly Perkins, Marketing & Fundraising Manager, said: “English should be seen as an urgent need. Functional English is the first step out of the door.”
The charity believes that through teaching functional English it means that someone will not be scared to leave the house.
Teaching is done by volunteers who are supported by their own dedicated link worker and through training, volunteers are taught how to lead sessions and to understand the issues that learners face in day-to-day life.
Polly said that the sessions are person centred, with learners choosing the topics to be covered.
She also said that the approach is ‘learning people need, not what is assumed they need to know’ and also involves practice during sessions.
The group also holds sessions with digital equipment to help people navigate the internet.
However, volunteer recruitment has been getting harder for the charity with the rising cost of living and cuts in pensions which means people are working in the extra time that they would have for volunteering.
Additionally, there has been a £6.8 billion reduction in government funding for charities which has made it more difficult.
But still, they are calling for anyone that has time to volunteer and you do not need to have had any previous teaching experience because they will provide the training and support.
Polly added: “The only skill needed is English and the only emotion needed is kindness and if you have those you’d be a perfect volunteer.”
If you are interested in volunteering, you can sign up at savte.org.uk/info.
