Volunteer Stories

As we head towards Volunteers Week, Michelle Bailey , Outreach and Engagement Coordinator at Schoolreaders shares what their volunteers are doing across Birmingham and what a difference they are making to the lives of local children. Schoolreaders is a national charity but one that works closely with schools across Birmingham, supporting children with their reading through visits to school from our local volunteers. Tell us a bit about yourself and how you involve volunteers I started working at Schoolreaders at the end of 2023 when we had just started reaching out to schools in the West Midlands, prior to that I had been a primary school teacher for over 20 years, so I know what a difference a little extra support in schools can make. Joining Schoolreaders meant that I was still working around schools and supporting reading, which has always been something that I have enjoyed, from being read to as a child, teaching children to read and then reading with my own children. What is my role at Schoolreaders? My main focus is recruiting new Schoolreaders volunteers. Each day brings something different, from reaching out to local community groups and media outlets to hosting talks for local organisations, to coordinating with schools across my region. It’s a mix of creativity, persistence, and a lot of communication! Social media is also a big part of my outreach. Local Facebook groups, for example, are a great way to connect with potential volunteers in specific areas. I also deliver talks to local groups like the Women’s Institute (WI), Rotary, and the University of the Third Age (U3A) to share more about Schoolreaders and the difference our volunteers make. In addition to volunteer recruitment, I also work with primary schools across the West Midlands to encourage them to become Schoolreaders partner schools. Every new placement involves careful planning and support from our small national team, and it’s thanks to that infrastructure that volunteers can step into schools smoothly and start making a difference. Who is the ideal volunteer for Schoolreaders? Our volunteers come from all walks of life. Some come to us with prior experience of education, whether that is having been a teacher, teaching assistant, school governor or university lecturer, but we also have a huge number of volunteers who do not have any experience of schools other than having attended one as a child! As long as our volunteers love reading and want to share this with children and inspire them to become readers themselves, they make great volunteers. What difference to volunteer make? Our volunteers are at the centre of our charity. They are the ones who commit to going into school every week, giving up their time to listen to children read, helping the children to develop their reading and comprehension skills and encouraging the children to engage with books. These weekly sessions have been proven to make a difference to the children’s reading skills but also to their enthusiasm for reading, which will have life long benefits. What do volunteers say about their experience with Schoolreaders? Our volunteers say they enjoy their weekly sessions as much as the children, albeit in a different way. Seeing the children’s enthusiasm for reading grow alongside the progress that they make week on week helps the volunteers to see the value in the support they are giving. “One of my children was very reluctant to read with me at the start of the school year. However, we have made our sessions fun and interesting which has improved his attitude and brought out his innate ability”. “I’m not able to give a lot of time, and have to say I did wonder at the start if I was really helping at all. But at the end of the first term, a Year 5 boy I’d been reading with got his book, turned to the last chapter and told me he’d been waiting for me to come in so he could finish his book - he’d been saving the last chapter all week to read with me! After that, I knew that even the 10 minutes I spent once a week with the children had an impact”. And finally, what do the children our volunteers work with say about their Schoolreader? “My Schoolreader helps me correct the words that I've misread. She's always very kind in the way she does it. " “She always has time for me” “Mr H is very understanding. If you get something wrong in reading, he corrects you in a kind way. He doesn't just tell you an answer, he helps you to work it out”. “We like to read with S, she helps us get better at reading our books” Recruitment is an ongoing process and applications can be made through our website: https://www.schoolreaders.org/volunteer-application-form All Schoolreaders volunteers must be over 18, have good written and spoken English and be able to commit to visiting their matched school for an hour or two each week for at least a year, although holidays and appointments can be taken during this time. Call: 01234 924111 Email: [email protected] Visit: https://www.schoolreaders.org/

According to survey statistics, Birmngham has a higher-than-average number of people who say they feel lonely. Loneliness and isolation can affect anyone, but it’s particularly common among older adults. Across Birmingham, charities and volunteers are working hard to change that, offering befriending services both in person and over the phone. One of those charities is Re-engage, which helps older people build vital social connections as their circles shrink in older age.

Across Birmingham, community kitchens, foodbanks and meal projects are busier than ever. The latest Birmingham City-Wide Food Aid Count 2025 shows that more than 22,000 visits were made to food banks in just two weeks this spring - a 64% increase since the 2023 count. It’s a stark reminder of the growing need for food support in our city. Behind every meal served and every parcel packed, there are volunteers - people who turn up week after week to cook, bake, and hand out food with a smile. Their kindness keeps these vital services running, and right now, they need more helping hands. Volunteer Brum currently features several brilliant organisations all looking for new volunteers to join their teams. FoodCycle (pictured) Midland Mencap , The Active Wellbeing Society , Fareshare Midlands , Narthex and Bethany Foodbank are all seeking people who can lend time to help feed their communities. Whether you love cooking, serving, or simply chatting with people as they collect food, there’s a role for you. Teal Martin-Heaven, Midlands Regional Manager from Foodcycle said: "At FoodCycle we have recently started using the BVSC volunteer platform to advertise our various volunteering opportunities across the city. This has been really useful in reaching a wider range of individuals. Through using this platform we have seen an increase in new volunteers supporting our projects across the city." Harry Clark, FoodCycle volunteer commented: "I moved to Birmingham in August and came across FoodCycle when looking for volunteering opportunities. It has been a joy to serve and get to know the locals in the community, and a great way to meet other like minded people volunteering their time in helping others."

In this guest blog from Forward Carers, Sarah shares what it's like to be a Carer Ambassador Volunteer and the difference it makes to her.

An article that highlights what it's like to volunteer at the Refugee and Migrant Centre.

An article that highlights what it's like to volunteer with Medaille Trust.

An article that highlights what it's like to volunteer with Better Pathways.