Refugee Befriender Training Course

The next Refugee Befriender Training Course from ‘Restore’ will be held at St John’s Church, High Street, Harborne B17 9PT, on Saturday 7 February 2026. The course is for anyone interested in learning more about refugees, and those considering volunteering as a befriender with Restore.

The Befriender Training Day will run from 9.45am until 4.00pm.  Refreshments will be available during the morning break and a light lunch provided. The training day will include three sessions:

• Session 1- Introduction to Restore and the global refugee situation
• Session 2- The asylum process in the UK and resettlement schemes
• Session 3- Guidelines and boundaries in befriending relationships

Following the training day, participants will be able to sign up to become a volunteer befriender. Volunteers are matched to a refugee to meet approximately every 2 weeks offer welcome, support, friendship and conversational English practice. Only those who attend a training day can volunteer, though there is no obligation to volunteer if you attend the course. We welcome participants from other organisations and anyone who wants to learn more about refugee issues,  even if they don’t intend to volunteer with Restore.

A befriended refugee recently wrote, ‘Having a befriender has been an incredibly positive experience. It’s comforting to have someone to talk to and share thoughts with, especially when feeling isolated or in need of support. I’ve enjoyed the genuine connection and the feeling of being listened to without judgment. Meeting my befriender has been a great opportunity to build trust and create meaningful conversations. If I could change anything, it would be to have more frequent meetings, as they’ve been so uplifting and valuable to me.’

Sign up to attend the Befriender Training Course on Saturday 7 February HERE.

Watch a short video summary of Restore’s work HERE.

For more information about Restore and/or the Befriender Training Day, or to arrange a speaker from Restore to explain more about its work, e-mail Jasmine at THIS ADDRESS.