VOLUNTEER WITH US
You don’t have to be a writer
to volunteer at the Bank.
You just have to believe a young person has something to say.
Our volunteers are at the heart of everything we do. They’re the reason we can offer 1:4 mentor ratios in primary classrooms, the warm presence at every after-school club, and the steady hands that make Bankfest possible. Without them, we’re a room. With them, we’re a bank.
Every young writer needs an adult sitting next to them who thinks their idea is worth hearing.
What makes the Bank different from a classroom is the ratio. In a Bank workshop, there is roughly one mentor for every four young writers. The mentor sits at the same table, not at the front. They ask so… what happens next in the story? instead of marking the last one. They keep going when the young person’s inspiration wobbles.
Most of the time, the mentor is a volunteer. Writers, retired teachers, accountants, sound engineers, marketers, illustrators, podcasters, bakers, people who simply love stories and want young people to love them too. If that sounds like you, we’d love to hear from you.
We run a variety of workshops at The Bank of Dreams and Nightmares. Here are some examples:
Primary school
Sit at a table of four young writers in a Primary Progression workshop. Ask questions. Help them get unstuck. Celebrate what they make. Full training and safeguarding provided; no writing experience needed.
Secondary school
10-week long workshops with young people who have been failed, forgotten, or told creative expression isn’t for them. Writing Mentors play a vital role in developing writers’ confidence and skills, helping to channel pupils’ ideas and energy into their writing.
After school clubs
Bring an evening a week to The Vault (youth newspaper), The Writers’ Account (creative writing) or Podcasting Club. Sound skills welcome for Podcasting. Editorial experience welcome for The Vault.
Holiday Writing Projects - We also run projects that take place during half-term or the holidays. Young people may sign up for a project that lasts between three days to two weeks. Here, children will work together with Writing Mentors to produce a publication. An example of this could be, a local newspaper written by young people or a walking guide to the local area.
Ideally we ask you to sign up for a minimum of 6 sessions, over 6 months, but whatever you can commit to is amazing for us. We offer training sessions before any workshops are attended so you feel comfortable with our system and principles. All volunteers will be required to have an enhanced DBS check as we are working with children and young people.
We also require volunteers for other fun roles like bank managers, bank clerks, publishers and many more. So please get in touch and show your interest and we can send you more information.