Story Telling and Literacy Support Volunteer – Female Only (Croydon)

We are looking for the 'practical hands' to help our families reclaim their childhood. Bring books to life with sound, texture and imagination! You’ll help little ones explore stories through sensory play and support mums building confidence with reading. Perfect for lovers of books, creativity and gentle family connection. This role will take place on Mondays and Thursdays.

We are seeking a diverse, proactive team of volunteers to support a 6-week summer programme (July 20 – Aug 28) across three refuge houses. Our mission is to rebuild parent-child bonds and bring joy back into childhood for families recovering from domestic abuse. You will volunteering alongside the Children Family workers throughout the summer, and will be invited to join an end of summer party.

We are actively seeking volunteers who speak Farsi, Bengali, Punjabi, Bangladeshi, or Turkish, Nepalese to help us connect with all our families.

What you will be doing

• Bring children’s books to life using props, sounds, textures and sensory storytelling.
• Support mums to build confidence reading aloud with their children.
• Offer gentle 1:1 support with literacy, phonics and early reading skills.
• Create warm, joyful reading spaces where families can bond.

The skills you need

• You love storytelling, books, and imaginative play.
• You’re patient and supportive with adults and children.
• You’re comfortable with early literacy and phonics.
• Ability to provide a supportive, and inclusive atmosphere that encourages learning and participation
• Good communication skills
• Experience in childcare desired
• Ability to speak either Farsi, Bengali, Punjabi, Bangladeshi, or Turkish, Nepalese is desired

What's in it for you

• Supporting You - You will have a dedicated volunteer supervisor to support you in your role; Quarterly volunteer forums with the central Volunteering team and volunteers across Hestia; References for job applications
• Developing You - You will gain knowledge and insight into issues that impact Domestic Abuse, Modern Slavery and Mental Health; You will have access to our extensive Learning and Development Programme; 40% of our departed volunteers secured a paid role at Hestia last year!
• Valuing You - We hold annual Volunteer Awards and Celebration events; We reimburse travel expenses and up to £5 for lunch for your volunteering; We hold social events and outings for our volunteers to get together and have some fun