| Time Together: refugee mentoring | |
|  | | Helping someone new to the UK can be a rewarding experience. |
| | Volunteers are needed to become friends and mentors to refugees newly arrived in the Plymouth area.
Mentors help with anything from writing a CV to advice on how to speak English. |
| | | More people are needed in the Plymouth area to join a scheme to help refugees find their feet in the local community.
'Time Together' is a mentoring scheme which matches local people in one-on-one relationships with refugees.
Mentors support, encourage, motivate and guide their refugee as they settle into the UK.
The refugees taking part in Time Together come from all over the world.
Many are professionals who are looking for support in accessing training courses, employment opportunities or help in understanding the British system.
 | | Eleanor and Walid meet up. |
Others want to make a friend, to practise their English or find out more about their new home.
For many of the refugees on the scheme this is their first meaningful relationship with a British person.
Time Together has been running successfully in London, Birmingham and Glasgow for some time.
Now the scheme has been extended to Plymouth, where there is a growing population of refugees.
All those participating in the scheme have been granted permission to remain in the UK.
Several people in the Plymouth area have signed up as mentors and the scheme is already paying dividends.
"I've had a lot of help with my English from my mentor Sarah and enjoy meeting with her," said Khalid Mizori, a refugee from Kurdistan.
The scheme has also has a profound impact on his mentor Sarah Pym from Plymouth.
"I have read a lot about refugees," said Sarah. "I have tried to understand on a political level and wanted to understand more on a personal level and to try and make a contribution.
 | | Sarah Pym with Khalid Mizori. |
"Speaking to Khalid has made it more real when I'm watching the news and reading about his country."
Mentors spend about five hours a month with their mentoring partner, doing anything from helping to write a CV, to visiting a museum, art gallery or park.
Mentors might help to practise English or explain how the internet or job market in the UK works.
The scheme is very flexible and encourages pairs to decide how often they should meet. But mentoring does require a real commitment and this must be considered before registering to take part.
Refugees bring enormous wealth to our society and enrich our communities.
Often though, through the absence of something as simple as the knowledge of where to turn for advice, they are unable to fulfil their true potential.
Mentoring is one of the most rewarding ways of giving time. It offers a wonderful opportunity to use your own experience to help another person while giving you the chance to develop your own skills.
The aim of the scheme is to build relationships that bridge the divide faced by citizens new to Devon so that they can integrate more fully.
Article updated: 27th March 2005
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It’s reflecting, encouraging and supporting that’s all. The progress is amazing. Mentoring has given my mentee the opportunity to talk things through with a neutral person. 
