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Our success depends on the support of individuals and organisations who believe that literacy has the power to build and transform communities. If you or your company, trust or foundation share that commitment, we would love to discuss having you join our movement. Please email us at [email protected] for more information.
Make a Donation
Adult Literacy Trust relies on donations such as yours to help advance our mission, and to promote the dignity of every person through educational opportunities for all. Thank you for your generous support.
Become an ALT Volunteer
Recruiting now!
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 (or sometimes one-to-two) basis. No prior teaching experience is required and all volunteers are given in-depth training in ALT’s learner-led model.
- 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, London WC2B 4BA
Mary Ward Centre, Southwark: 1 Rushworth St, London SE1 0RB
Mary Ward Centre, Stratford: 275-285 High St, London E15 2TF
New City College, Hackney: Falkirk St, London N1 6HQ
New City College, Tower Hamlets: Poplar High St, London E14 0BX
Westminster Adult Education Services: Lupus St, Pimlico, SW1V 3EY
Westminster Adult Education Service: Lisson Grove, NW8 8LW
Working Men's College: 44 Crowndale Rd, NW1 1TR
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. Typically, they take place sometime between 10am-6pm, Monday to Friday.
Our training programme encompasses several modules tailor-made for our reading programmes, an in-depth study of our Volunteer Handbook (a practical guide to running literacy mentoring sessions), and an online safeguarding module. Reading Coaches will benefit from being trained in basic effective tutoring methods and techniques to promote engagement.
Each teaching organisation with whom we partner also offers an in-person, site-specific induction which includes an opportunity to observe a class and meet the teachers and adult learners before volunteering commences.
We are now taking applications until August. Successful candidates will be invited to interviews from mid-June onwards. Our bespoke training programme will run from late August until mid-September, with trained volunteers being matched with adult learners from mid-September onwards.
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.
You can view a copy of the Reading Coach role description here, or reach out directly to our Volunteer Coordinator at [email protected] for more information.
To apply, fill in our online application form here.
If you would like ALT to keep you up to date as we expand our reading programme into new areas, you can sign up to our waiting list for future updates. Please add your contact details to our online form here.