Get Involved

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Become an ALT Volunteer

Would you like to support an adult learner to become a confident reader? Adult Literacy Trust are looking for volunteers to become trained Reading Coaches and work with adult learners on a one-to-one basis. No prior teaching experience is required and all volunteers are given in-depth training in ALT’s learner-led model.

“Before I never used to open a book because I thought I couldn’t read but now I can. I used to think it was boring reading before, but now I don't.”

– from an ALT learner working with an ALT Reading Coach

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  • Be at least 18 years old.
  • Speak, write, and understand English well enough to communicate clearly, and have a minimum education of a secondary school level or equivalent (i.e. hold a GCSE or equivalent, in any subject).
  • Agree to tutor a learner for a minimum of one academic term.
  • Be able to meet with a learner at an approved site and provide their own transportation to the site.
  • Successfully complete our training programme.

Our volunteers run coaching sessions at colleges across London, at the following locations:

City Lit, Holborn: 1-10 Keeley St, WC2B 4BA 

IACL, Islington: Islington Central Library, 2 Fieldway Cresent, N5 1PF

Mary Ward Centre, Blackfriars: 1 Rushworth St, SE1 0RB

Mary Ward Centre, Stratford: 275-285 High St, E15 2TF   

Morley College, Waterloo: 61 Westminster Bridge Road, SE1 7HT

Morley College, Stockwell: 1 Studley Road, SW4 6RA

New City College, Hackney: Falkirk St, N1 6HQ

New City College, Tower Hamlets: Poplar High St, E14 0BX

Westminster Adult Education Services: Lupus St, Pimlico, SW1V 3EY 

Westminster Adult Education Service: Lisson Grove, NW8 8LW

WM College, Camden: 44 Crowndale Rd, NW1 1TR

For September 2026, we are only able to accept applications for volunteers at NCC Tower Hamlets. 

All other locations will be available for our January 2027 training courses. 

Days and times for volunteering are flexible, as we match you with a learner based on your respective availability. Most ALT sessions take place once a week (term time only), and usually last for an hour. Most learners request sessions between 10am and 4pm, Monday to Thursday. 

Our training provides you with the guidance and skills you need to take on the Reading Coach role.

The training is delivered across four modules and is a mix of in-person and online training. Topics covered include:

  • the purpose of the role and how it works
  • who the learners are
  • skills and knowledge we use in reading
  • ALT's learner-led approach
  • key safeguarding principles
  • site-specific induction and tour

We ask all volunteers to complete an application form, following which we will invite you to a brief interview for us to get to know you.

All volunteers must submit also a DBS application. ALT will send further details during the training course. 

Applications: Closed for September 2026 training courses. 

Interviews: From October for our January 2027 training courses. 

Training: Three x 2.5 hour modules - you need to attend all three modules, ideally in the same stream. 

 

If you share our belief that literacy has the power to build and transform lives, and are interested in becoming a volunteer Reading Coach or to get involved in other ways, we would love to hear from you.

To apply for our January 2027 training courses, please complete our application form here.

For more information please view our Reading Coach role description, or get in touch with our Volunteer Team who will be happy to help you at volunteers@alt.org.uk.