About Meghan and her experience volunteering for the Literacy Pirates

"I moved to London a few months ago from New York to complete my MA in Publishing at City. I volunteered with young students throughout my high school and undergrad years and wanted to continue that service and immerse myself in the community here.  

I want to pursue roles in Children’s Publishing and when I discovered Literacy Pirates at City’s volunteering fair, I knew it was the perfect place for me and a great way to get insight on what students like and crave in their books.  

Volunteering at Literacy Pirates is always a highlight of my week. My favourite days are when I’m working with a student who isn’t sure of their story but while we work together, they gain more confidence and sometimes even get up to share their work with the class.  

I am a big lover of books, of course, and I love having the opportunity to get the students excited to read and create their own stories and gain greater confidence in themselves. Volunteering and working with other volunteers and recipients of a volunteering program can provide real world work and life experiences.  

You will also gain communication and problem solving skills that you can apply to other jobs and your personal life as well. I would strongly recommend volunteering to other City students if they want to get involved in their communities, strengthen their interpersonal skills, or add more nuanced experiences to their CV."

About the Literacy Pirates

The Literacy Pirates was founded in 2011 (originally as The Hackney Pirates) by Catriona Maclay, a teacher in North London. Catriona realised some of her pupils needed more support than she and her colleagues could offer during the school day. The first programme began with a focus on reading and writing, whilst also working to increase children's self esteem as learners, and their ability to keep going when things get touch with school work. Local children, parents, teachers and volunteers agreed there was space for pirate-style learning in Hackney, and The Hackney Pirates was born.

In 2014, they moved into their learning centre (Ship) in Dalston, and in 2019 they launched their second Ship in Tottenham. You can become a volunteer Crewmate for the Literacy Pirates and help children in East London with their reading, writing and confidence either in person or virtually. Sign up to become a Volunteer Crewmate on our Website here.