Support us > Volunteer
Make a difference - Volunteer!
We simply could not continue working towards our mission without the support of our volunteers. Since 1973 we’ve been fortunate to engage with thousands of people who have generously donated their time, adding up to over 12 million hours of one-to-one reading.
We train and support community volunteers, young people and caregivers to give children something powerful:
Time, connection and joy.
A shared love of books and the opportunity to dream!
Every week, our volunteers sit with the same children, building relationships that go far beyond the pages of a book. They follow the child’s pace, share laughter, listen deeply, and create a space where children choose reading and build essential skills for a brighter future.
Our community volunteers are often, but not always, early retirees – active, interested, and ready to give back. They find purpose and community in helping children grow in confidence and ability. And they’re never doing it alone – with expert training, ongoing support, and a strong community behind them, they feel equipped and valued from day one.
If you can’t commit to the weekly, longer term, commitment our reading helper role needs, you may know someone who can, or can support us in other ways to help our work. If you are still in secondary school, take a look at our Reading Leaders programme and show your teacher!
Scroll down to find out more about joining us as a volunteer.
"I feel supported, which is very important when volunteering in a school."
Ann Davis, Reading Helper
Hear from some of the children we support, learn more about how a session works, find out what motivates some of our volunteers and discover why schools choose to work with us.
Our one-to-one programmes rely on people giving their time to help create readers. Find out how you can help and if you are ready, fill in our application form here.
Ready to take the first step to becoming a reading helper? Check that you can meet some basic practicalities and fill in our application form here.
We know our approach to reading works and love to share this with our volunteers to help them start sessions with confidence, and continue to learn as they get to know the children. Find out how here.
Coram Beanstalk is committed to safeguarding the welfare of children and requires all staff, volunteers and partners to share this commitment. You can find our safeguarding contact number and policy here.
Our existing trained reading helpers can access a bank of book-based activities and ideas, as well as book training and social events here.