The Language Justice Programme stems from the idea that the use of trained, professional and salaried interpreters and learning English serve the same purpose – giving service users the means to make independent decisions.
Through providing free interpreting training, in-person and online ESOL classes, and volunteering opportunities, we help refugees and vulnerable migrants into work, something they may struggle to obtain due to an unfamiliarity with UK employment practices. We also encourage other organisations to value and support interpreters as fully fledged, highly-skilled staff members, and recognise the importance of employing members of the refugee communities in other roles.
Our interpreting services are offered via telephone and in person, both internally at Nottingham Refugee Forum and for external customers through Voices in Refuge, our Community Interest Company. We are very proud to be the only (that we know of) organisation supporting refugees and asylum seekers that works in this way, and have provided training to numerous volunteers and staff from other Refugee support organisations across the UK.
To learn more about our interpreting services, to volunteer or to apply for our Introduction to Community Interpreting in Asylum Seeker Settings Training Course, please visit: https://www.voicesinrefuge.com/
Book an interpreter
Apply for the training course
We have supplied emergency funding for interpreters to 12 small organisations that work with refugees and asylum seekers.
0 %
of NNRF clients need an interpreter
0
clients referred for ESOL in 2021/22
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people complete Community interpreter training each year
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volunteers supporting the project as interpreters or ESOL tutors
I’ve learned a lot in the lockdown in the Zoom classes. With a child at home even if I had a college place I wouldn’t be able to benefit like this. Thank you so much to the Refugee Forum. Please continue with these online classes.
Khadija (ESOL student)
“It was wonderful to take part in and pass the Interpreting online course with Voices in Refuge and the Refugee Forum. It gave me new step to improve my communication skills and English Language with perfect, friendly and simple tutors. To encourage me to be a volunteer as an interpreter that I really enjoy to be a part in helping people to communicate. Thank you great team.”
– Lubna (trained volunteer interpreter).
“Thank you so much for facilitating what has been an invaluable and very interesting course. Although I still have much to learn and it will take practice to internalise the techniques and extend my vocabulary, I feel that I am now MUCH better equipped to volunteer my services with Reading Refugee Support Group and for that I am profoundly grateful.”
– Jenny Carr (interpreting trainee)
