Volunteers from the Metsälä Detention Centre Visits (DCV) group visit the Metsälä detention unit regularly every or every second week on Thursdays from 6 p.m to 8 p.m. The unit is a closed institution where asylum seekers whose identity is unknown and migrants awaiting removal from the country are held by court order. The detainees cannot leave the premises and may need to stay from a few hours to many months.

During the visits we offer social support to the detainees. It means that the visiting volunteers listen to the detainees’ stories (often heartbreaking), chat with them, and maybe play some board games. If volunteers are willing, short workshops or performances for the detainees can be offered during the visit.

Requirements

• Age 21 or older
• Willingness to commit to the principles of Red Cross
• Commitment to visit the DC at least 20 times the first year (the visits are every Thursday at 6-8 pm)
• Sufficient mental and physical health
• Volunteering experience is an advantage, open-mindedness a must
• Language skills (in addition to English) such as Arabic, French, Spanish, German, or Russian are appreciated. Finnish is not required.
Any skill that can be shared with the detainees during a visit, whether it’s singing or juggling, is also useful but not necessary.

Next training

Volunteers must participate in a training session that will take place on Friday 4th (4.30 pm to 8 p.m. ONLY for new Red Cross volunteers*) and on Saturday 5th of May (9 a.m. to 5 pm.). The working language of the group is English and all training and materials will be provided in English.

If you are interested in signing up or have any further questions, please send an e-mail to spr.dcvolunteers@gmail.com

Applications must be sent to the same address by no later than 23rd April 2017, please answer the following questions in your application.

• Name
• Age
• Gender
• Languages spoken (scale 1-5; 1=basics, 5=fluent/native)
• Skills that you could teach or perform in Detention Centre
• Please describe your previous volunteering experience
• What is your motivation for volunteering, in general, and at the detention centre in particular?
• Why are you suited to this type of volunteering?
• Visits are every week on Thursdays from 6-8 pm. Can you commit to bi-monthly visits for one year or more?
• Do you have any commitments that could be in conflict with the confidentiality or principles of Red Cross?