Volunteer with Bookmark
Volunteers are front and centre of our work to help children succeed in school and beyond.
Become a Bookmark volunteer and change children’s life stories in just one hour a week!
About the volunteer role
At Bookmark, volunteering is focused on one-to-one reading programmes in order to maximise the number of children we’re able to support with improving their literacy.
Whether online or face-to-face, volunteers directly support children in disadvantaged communities who are at risk of leaving primary school unable to read well. This sets them up for a future with many more opportunities than they might otherwise have. You don’t need any specific experience to become a one-to-one reading volunteer as Bookmark provides all of the training and resources you’ll need to deliver the role.
Why volunteer with Bookmark?
There are many reasons volunteers choose to share their time as a reading volunteer, including:
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Helping children gain the reading skills they need
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Boosting a child’s self-esteem and confidence
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Joining a community of volunteers
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Seeing first-hand the result volunteering accomplishes
Already a Bookmark volunteer?
If you’re already a Bookmark volunteer, thank you!
You may find the below links helpful if you’re looking for information or resources to help deliver your reading programme.
Being a reading volunteer at Bookmark
You’ll be reading stories and playing games in 30-minute sessions, with a child aged between 5 and 11, either face-to-face or on our secure online platform. In one of our six-week programmes, by spending two sessions each week with the same child, you can improve their confidence in reading, literacy skills and reading enjoyment. Volunteers will also be expected to commit to participate in at least three programmes a year.
Become a one-to-one reading volunteer
Help a child by becoming a one-to-one reading volunteer with Bookmark. Deliver two 30-minute reading sessions a week, face-to-face or online, to change a child’s life story.
Corporate volunteering
Find out more about volunteering with Bookmark through your organisation. Choose single or twice-weekly sessions to help change a child’s story.
Reading mentors
Bookmark’s Reading Mentor Programme lets 16 to 17-year-olds read with children in local primary schools. Learn how to join through your sixth form or college.
Want to find out more?
Come along to an open session. We’ll talk through the benefits of volunteering, process for joining and provide more details on our reading programme. The sessions are delivered in Microsoft Teams.
Other ways to support us
From fundraising to donating, there are plenty of ways you can get involved and support us with our mission.
What volunteers say
We take pride in offering a volunteer role that is impactful, enjoyable and accessible.
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Even if one child is influenced to think “books are for me” or “I can do this” or “I do want to go to university and study English” – what an incredible difference to have made just by virtue of spending two half-hours a week with them.
Claire, Volunteer 
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It was such a wonderful experience. I was very happy knowing that I was helping someone. The child really improved a lot during the six weeks. It was really rewarding for me to see the improvement.
Jo, Volunteer 
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My reader really struggled at first with even simple words but he has improved steadily, giving me a real sense of achievement. I can really see the improvement he is making...
Volunteer 
Related content
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Bookmark Volunteer Featured on the BBC
At 91 years old, Bookmark’s oldest volunteer has been helping children improve their reading skills. As featured in the BBC, discover more about Dianna.
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Volunteer spotlight: Igniting the joy of reading with Karen
Bookmark team member and volunteer, Karen, tells us about her reading partnership and her memorable moments from her time on the programme.
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How you can build your confidence through volunteering
Volunteering has many mental health benefits like increasing self-esteem and boosting confidence. Learn about how you can boost your confidence through volunteering.
Got a question about volunteering?
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Bookmark partners with schools in areas of deprivation with higher than national average levels of pupil premium and IDACI figures (Income Deprivation Affecting Children Index) along with lower than national average figures for Key Stage 2 reading levels.
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You'll select the programme timing which works best for you and book it through our Volunteer Hub. You'll then log onto each session through your PC, laptop, MacBook, Chromebook, iPad, tablet or phone, which requires both a webcam and an internet connection.
Teachers will set the child you'll be reading with up with the same so that you can use our secure online platform, with plenty of games and reading resources to deliver a reading session online.
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Yes! As well as online sessions, we offer face-to-face opportunities to read with a child at a primary school that is local to you, depending on availability. We're looking for people who could support a minimum of two children a week, across 12 weeks, for in-person programmes.
You can find a full list of areas with school availability, which is updated across the year, by searching for 'f2f schools list'.
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Ensuring the safety of children and volunteers is at the very heart of what we do. You can find our Safeguarding, Safer Recruitment and other policies relating to volunteering in our Policies & Procedures section.
