Transform a child's future

Chapter One offers a flexible, time-efficient online volunteering opportunity to busy professionals who want to make a direct impact on the lives of children facing disadvantage through boosting their reading confidence and enjoyment. Our volunteers are supported by a company as part of a team of volunteers, who will all read 1:1 with a 5-8 year old child, helping them build their reading enjoyment, confidence and skills through weekly online sessions.

❓ Interested in finding out more before suggesting it to your company? Read on for a full role description.

❓ Interested in introducing Chapter One to your business? Jump straight to Next Steps below to explore partnership opportunities.

What you'll do

The commitment: One 30-minute, 1:1, online reading session per week throughout the school year (about 20-25 sessions). Volunteers sign up as part of a team supported by their employer.

Your role:

📚 You’ll be paired with a primary school pupil aged 5-8 and will use the Chapter One platform to book and deliver weekly reading sessions during school hours with your matched child. Please note, there is no video link with the child, only audio.

📚 Follow a structured reading programme that includes levelled stories, word games, and interactive activities

📚 Adapt sessions to your reader's needs and interests - learning is best when it's fun!

📚 Give positive feedback and encouragement to build your reader's confidence

You are..

📚 Understanding and empathetic
Your student may be self-conscious about their reading ability, or they may simply not enjoy reading. Some days they may just want to chat or play games. Just do what you can - meeting them where they are is what matters.

📚 Patient, persistent and resilient
The classroom can be busy and unpredictable. There may be some background noise, technical hiccups, or days when your reader seems reluctant. Remember that children can be unpredictable, and it can take time to build your relationship.

📚 Open to learning
We provide comprehensive training, ongoing support, and a knowledge base of resources to help you develop as a volunteer and navigate any challenges that arise.

You don't need...

❌ Prior experience of reading with young children - just energy and enthusiasm for books!

❌ To be a native English speaker - just a proficient one!

❌ To know anything about teaching methods, phonics or child safeguarding - full training is provided.

❌ To be worried about the tech - we make it super simple for you, and live chat support (with real people!) is just a click away.

You do need...

✔️ Fluency in English and have a confident reading ability (English doesn't need to be your first language)

✔️ Confidence using computers to use our online platform and access our training

✔️ Good communication and listening skills to work 1:1 with children at their pace

✔️ To be reliable - your reader will look forward to speaking to you each week

✔️ A positive attitude towards Chapter One's mission and the importance of reading

Support you'll receive:

Training:

📚 Comprehensive online training package covering everything from your first session to working with more confident readers

📚 Additional resources via our Knowledge Base to develop your skills

📚 Safeguarding training modules

Ongoing support:

📚 Access to live chat support

📚 Guidance from a dedicated Volunteer Support Team if you encounter challenges

📚 A vibrant volunteer community drawn from our corporate partners

Next Steps

For employees interested in volunteering

As explained above, Chapter One volunteers participate through employer partnerships. If you're interested in becoming a reading volunteer:

1. Share this role description with your HR, CSR/social value, volunteering lead, or relevant decision-maker

2. Make the case for why your organisation should partner with Chapter One (use the "Why Organisations Partner" section below)

3. Encourage them to get in touch with us to explore partnership options

We're here to help make it easy for your organisation to get involved.

For decision-makers and organisations

Why do organisations partner with Chapter One?

📚 Meaningful employee engagement Give your team an opportunity to make a tangible difference in a child's life while developing valuable skills in communication, patience, and adaptability. It's volunteering that fits around work - just 30 minutes a week, fully remote.

📚 Measurable social impact Be part of tackling the UK's literacy crisis at the crucial early intervention stage. Chapter One has been supporting children aged 5-8 across 13 UK regions since 2018, helping hundreds of children build confidence and catch up with their reading.

📚 Professional, fully-supported programme We provide everything: comprehensive training, ongoing volunteer support, safeguarding processes including DBS checks, and a user-friendly digital platform. Your HR or CSR team gains a turnkey volunteering programme with minimal administrative burden.

📚 Strategic alignment Join our work supporting the National Year of Reading 2026 initiative. Demonstrate your commitment to education, social mobility, and supporting disadvantaged communities through a well-established UK literacy charity.

📚 Flexible and scalable Whether you have 5 volunteers or 50, our model works. Sessions are delivered remotely, fitting seamlessly into hybrid and flexible working patterns.

Contact us

If you're interested in bringing Chapter One to your organisation, contact us to discuss partnership options, volunteer numbers, funding opportunities, and next steps.

📧 Sarah Taylor, Business Development Manager sarah.taylor@chapterone.org

We'll arrange a conversation to explore how we can work together to transform children's futures through reading.