Are you looking for a flexible volunteering opportunity helping communities to spread a love of reading and literacy via events, workshops and other activities? Read Manchester is local hub from the National Literacy trust working in partnership with Manchester Libraries. Using place based working to help communities access resources and books and to gain confidence and skills to lead events, workshops and more bringing literacy into everything they do.

Volunteers help in different ways.

1. At hub events, assisting with planning, setting up and running events in parks libraries and at larger scale events alongside Read Manchester staff and other literacy champions.

2. Make their own literacy based projects in the community such as little libraries, book clubs and writing workshops.

3. Assist with in-school workshops, as they arise.

4. Assist with digital projects making short films, podcasts etc.

5.digitally sharing information on social media and creating online projects i.e. our monthly Poetry place competition.

This volunteering role is extremely flexible, with no obligations on how much or little time you are able to volunteer. Some champions, who have their own projects, may give up to 10 hours a month, others may only help at an event once every 3 months. It all depends on what you want to get out of the opportunity and what time you have to share.

Current volunteers have gained skills in:

. Event /workshop planning

. Team work

. Leadership

. Risk Assessments

. Story telling

. Community networking

. Community Engagement

. Social Media

and much more

Volunteers have reported that they feel a sense of accomplishment, as well as feeling that they have made a difference to local families and adults after taking part in our activities or in creating their own.

Read Manchester volunteers gave over 2000 hours of their time last year to literacy based projects and we can still do more, which is why we need your help.

If you volunteer through the National Literacy Trust, you can self-claim Rise points for every hour you work. Take a look at how to claim here, and start logging your volunteering hours now!