Volunteer FAQs
Will I be volunteering online or in person?
Our Virtual Ship is setting sail! We run daily virtual sessions over Teams. When restrictions allow we’ll reopen our Hackney and Haringey Ships as well – watch this space.
What days can I volunteer?
We run sessions Monday to Friday during term time, generally 3:45pm-6:15pm. We also run workshops during the school holidays, and these tend to take place over lunchtime.
How often do the children attend?
Usually once a week. The Literacy Pirates is a after-school literacy intervention for children aged 9-13, and children attend once a week. They typically join on the same weekday every week.
Can I volunteer if I have no experience as a teacher?
Absolutely. Our Crewmates come from a variety of different professions and most have no teaching experience at all. At your training sessions, we’ll show you some basic teaching techniques to help you support the children. You’ll have a trained teacher in each session who’ll guide the class, and be on hand for any extra support you might need.
Will I work with the same young person in every session that I volunteer?
That depends. If you sign up to be a regular volunteer, we aim to group you with the same children each week. If you join us on a more flexible basis, you’ll work with different children each time you volunteer. Either way working with an adult is a great way to build the children’s confidence.
Are you running in-person training sessions for new volunteers?
Not at the moment. All of our trainings are currently taking place over Zoom.
Can I volunteer straight after I attend training?
You’re nearly there. First you’ll need to have a quick call with us so we can view your ID documents, process your DBS application and get to know you a little. It typically takes a week for your DBS to come back. Once we’ve got that , you can book your volunteer sessions.
Can I observe a session before I volunteer in my first session?
If you’d like to start by watching a session after your training, let us know and we’ll see what we can do.
How do I sign up for sessions?
Once you’ve completed your training and got your DBS back, we’ll email you instructions on how to book volunteer sessions. We’ll share our shift calendar so you can see which sessions have spaces available, and pick ones that work for you.
Will I need to bring anything to sessions?
Just your enthusiasm. All our sessions are led by trained teachers who provide the resources and plan the activities for each session. All you’ll need to do before you join is read the session Sailing Plan outlining what will happen in that week’s session. The teacher will refer to this during session.
How often can I volunteer?
You can join us on a regular basis (every week for a block of five or six weeks) or a flexible basis (as and when). All we ask is that you do at least 10 sessions in total, at a rate that suits you. You can also move between to the two if you find your schedule changes. Just keep us posted.
Can I continue volunteering after I’ve completed 10 sessions?
Please do! After your tenth session you’re welcome to continue volunteering for as long as you like and at a rate that suits you.
If you want to stop volunteering (whether on your 10th session or your 100th!) please let our volunteering team know so we can change your profile and take you off our emails.
Existing volunteers
I would like to volunteer but I haven’t been in session for a while, do I need to let the Volunteering Team know?
It depends how long it’s been since we last saw you. We’re always happy when Crewmates return after a break. If it’s been less than nine months, sign up for sessions as normal. If it’s been nine months or more you’ll need to do a new DBS application (free of charge). If it’s been over a year, you’ll also need to join another training session.
What should I do if I need to cancel a session?
Let us know. We plan how many Crewmates we need for the children, so it’s really important that we can rely on you to turn up to your session. If it’s a week or two before your session, please email us to cancel. If it’s 48 hours or less until the session, give us a call or send us a text.