The group could be held in a library, a care home, at a charity venue, community centre, or even a local shop or cafe.
If you're interested in helping people connect to one another and improve their wellbeing through brilliant stories and poems, then we'd love to hear from you.
No previous experience is necessary; the most important things you can bring are your enthusiasm and a desire to make a positive difference to people's lives.
“You feel that ‘togetherness’ - that’s what poetry can do” - group member
Volunteering with The Reader will allow you to make a difference in your local community, meet new people, and learn new skills. 
You will benefit from:
- High-quality training, that will fully prepare you to lead Shared Reading sessions; 
- Access to an online hub of thoughtfully selected poetry, stories, and other resources; 
- Ongoing guidance and advice from our dedicated Support Team.
“For that hour when we’re stuck into a great story or poem, people feel seen and heard” - Volunteer Reader Leader 
The training is made up of 6 half-day sessions, which take place online, over 6 consecutive weeks.  
We kindly ask that anyone undertaking the training intends to volunteer with The Reader for at least 1 year.    
Once trained, volunteers usually deliver groups on a weekly or fortnightly basis. 
“Getting a really good discussion going really lifts my day” - Volunteer Reader Leader"