RespondIR – UK Disaster Response

As part of our long-term commitment to volunteer development here at Islamic Relief UK, we’ve designed a specialised two-year training programme for prospective volunteers. The programme will offer volunteers the opportunity to train in responding to civil emergencies across the UK and earn crucial leadership skills for their future.

Our RespondIR programme trains Islamic Relief UK volunteers to be able to respond to the country’s worst emergencies within a period of 48 hours, ensuring that we can serve as many people as possible, as quickly as possible. From flooding in the north of England, to fires in London, when a local disaster strikes – we’ll be there, supporting communities who require assistance in their hour of need!

They’ll also have a crucial role supporting the UK Programme team with delivering food parcels as part of our infamous winter and qurbani food drives.

What is the RespondIR programme?

RespondIR is a comprehensive volunteer-led programme, dedicated to creating leaders who are equipped with specialised training in providing an emergency response during a crisis. These specialists are vital in representing the organisation through our national programmatic work.

This dedicated programme provides participants with the necessary skills and experience to support communities in need. Participants will develop and strengthen their skills and knowledge in a wide range of areas including:

• Project management and campaigning
• Providing emergency responses
• Gender and inclusion
• Crisis communication and leadership
• First aid
• Conflict resolution
• Public speaking
• Additional communication techniques

Over a period of two years, our chosen participants will attend key training sessions to develop and review this range of skills, subject knowledge, and programme participation to enable them to support communities in need through our emergency response programme and sustainable projects.

We partner with some of the most dedicated organisations to relieve poverty and provide sustainable development across the UK. We also partner with organisations that provide us with support to deliver the best multidisciplinary training possible to our volunteers.

We’re creating dedicated, experienced, and skilled volunteers and we are confident that by the end of this two-year comprehensive programme, our volunteers will be ready for any challenge they face!

If you are passionate about supporting those in need in the UK and willing to sacrifice time at the last minute and at anti-social hours, then we NEED you – Be an emergency RepondIR – apply now!

Click here to download the brochure for the programme including key dates for the 2023 – 2025 programme.

APPLY NOW 

Volunteers in training (2018 – 2020)

Our 2018 – 2020 cohort of volunteers successfully attended various in-house and external training sessions, equipping them with the tools they need to deal with emergencies. The team were fortunate to respond to only one emergency over the life-cycle of the programme, dealing with an estate fire in Barking, London, by supporting residents at the rest centre.

The volunteers received their ILM certificate for participating on the programme.

We’ll be providing regular updates, feedback, and evaluation after each session via our website, blog and social media as the programme continues.