Building a life in the UK through volunteering

M is now coming into his fourth year of living in the UK. He was granted Leave to Remain at the beginning of 2025 and lives in a HMO (House in multiple occupation) sourced by the local Council's Humanitarian team.

He arrived in Hertfordshire after a difficult journey from Sudan via Libya with no English. M has been supported by HWR to learn English at our drop ins and has commented that he has found the support HWR provides at the drop ins in, by giving time and space to asylum seekers to ask questions without fear of judgement, invaluable. He calls the UK “the greatest community in the world” and is immensely grateful for the religious freedom and tolerance of human rights here that were absent in Sudan and which drove him to the difficult decision to leave his family and life there. 

M has enjoyed integrating into the local community but comments that some refugees struggle to do this because they do not realise that UK society is more open and less judgemental than their countries of origin. He attends college, working part time as a delivery driving while searching for a better job. He also volunteers regularly at the local Volunteer Centre and is contributing to the development of the HWR volunteer ambassador programme. 

M attended HWR’s AGM last year and was glad to gain an insight into the work of the charity. This year he attended the AGM as an invaluable helper. ​