Asylum seekers get a bad name in the British press, but have you ever wondered how it feels to be a refugee from your home nation? Away from familiar social networks, integrating into a new culture can be a real challenge.

There are many barriers refugees face when trying to adapt to British culture. According to the Refugee Council's report from 2007, these include:

• lack of choice in housing, employment and education
• lack of resources, making it difficult to access new social networks
• difficulties in getting employment working alongside UK nationals
• status as an immigrant leading to exclusion.

Other common hurdles are language difficulties, not knowing how UK systems work and facing some hostility and discrimination from the community.

Calling time on exclusion
Refugees have a lot to contribute to society, but it's often very daunting to get involved in a new culture and hard to make friends from different backgrounds. Developing social networks helps refugees to integrate into society and increases their cultural understanding.

Run by national volunteering charity Timebank, the Time Together scheme matches volunteer mentors with refugees to promote cultural understanding and help refugees feel more at home in the UK.

But the project doesn't just benefit refugee mentees. Mentors can make new friends, learn about other cultures and develop their own skills in communication and guidance.

Cultural learning
Karl, a refugee from the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Susan, a 43-year-old accountant from Stockport and Karl's mentor, describe how Time Together has enriched their lives:

"Karl's confidence with spoken English has improved, and he is making the best use of the courses available to him through learndirect. Karl has helped me with my French, and I have learnt a little about African culture and things like African cooking. We have also been to an African supermarket and an English supermarket to compare what African people eat to what English people eat. I feel that Karl has become a friend and I look forward to spending time with him."

Becoming a mentor
Mentors with Time Together attend a one-day training course, are actively involved in selecting a suitable match and receive support and expenses for the duration of their mentoring relationship, which lasts for up to 12 months.

Each 'professional friendship' differs, but mentors usually spend about five hours a month supporting, encouraging, motivating and guiding their mentee, either formally or informally. This can be through activities like visiting a museum to improve knowledge and understanding of British culture, writing a CV, or practising English.

As long as you have a good understanding of British culture and are open-minded, you are eligible to take part in this unique activity. What could be more satisfying than sharing your knowledge and experience with a newcomer to the country?

"Mentoring for Time Together sounded socially rewarding but I had no idea it would be fun, personally challenging and educational as well. Easily the best volunteer activity I have ever had the privilege to be involved in." A mentor on Time Together

For more information on the mentoring scheme, visit the Time Together website. Other useful sites include the charities Refugee Action and the Refugee Council, who work with refugees and policy-makers in the UK.

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