Volunteer FAQs
What are the minimum requirements for volunteering?
| 1. You are able to independently support Young Pirates in their learning within the Session context. |
| 2. You have a patient and respectful approach to children and adults. |
| 3. You have functional English skills. |
| 4. You have good communication skills; the ability to follow, retain and then relay instructions. |
| 5. You are reliable and punctual. |
| 6. You are self-reflective, seeking ways to improve individual practice. |
| 7. You are able to implement our learning strategies and behaviour management techniques. |
| 8. You model good listening by stopping conversation and paying attention when a session leader or a Young Pirate talk. |
| 9. You respect the Session Leader’s instructions and are able to relay those instructions to Young Pirates. |
| 10. You can use basic IT skills including being able to copy/paste or use the platform basic functions such as using the chat, camera and microphone. |
| 11. You have access to a working computer, camera and microphone and a quiet space with stable internet connection. |
Will I be volunteering online or in person?
It’s up to you! We run sessions in-person in our Hackney centre and virtually via an online learning platform. For more information visit our virtual and in-person pages.
Can I volunteer if I live outside of the UK?
Unfortunately not. For safeguarding purposes, we conduct background checks on all volunteers and this process requires a UK residence.
When can I volunteer?
We run sessions Monday to Friday during term time, generally 3:45pm-6:15pm for virtual sessions and 3:45pm-6:45pm for in-person sessions. We also run workshops during the school holidays, and these tend to take place over lunchtime.
How do I sign up to sessions?
Once you have completed our sign-up form, attended your trainings, and completed a DBS you will be sent a link to book sessions.
How often do the young people attend and will I be working with the same young people each session?
The young people we work with typically join on a particular weekday for a set number of weeks. If you join us on a regular basis we will aim to pair/group you with the same Young Pirates each time you volunteer. If you join on a flexible basis, you will be working with different Young Pirates. Either way, working with an adult is a great way to build a young person’s confidence!
Can I volunteer if I have no experience as a teacher?
Absolutely. Our Volunteer 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 will also have a trained teacher in each session who’ll guide the class, and be on hand for any extra support you might need.
Can I continue volunteering after I’ve completed 12 sessions?
Please do! After your twelfth 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 the 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?
We’re always happy to have returning Crewmates. Send us an email and we can check if new checks or a refresher of training is required.
Where can I find the Volunteering Policy?
You can read the Volunteering Policy here.
What should I do if I need to cancel a session?
Let us know. We plan how many Crewmates we need each young person, 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 your session, give us a call or send us a text.