I had the opportunity to volunteer at the Haringey Pirate Ship in Tottenham, East London once a month. Every session was so different and the energy that the children brought with them was infectious. I was there to help Young Pirates aged 9-12 with reading and writing and I ended up learning so much from them, along with laughing a LOT in every class. I couldn’t get over the quick wit and banter between the children and amazing teachers leading each session.
Getting involved
Volunteering came about after going along to an information session when I was working at John Lewis & Partners. It was a lively, fun session and communicated the goals of Hackney Pirates (and Haringey Ship, opened in 2019) so clearly. It told us about the positive impact they’re making in children’s lives and how much they need volunteers to take this even further.
We exist to improve the reading, writing, confidence and perseverance of children who are falling behind in school and have fewer opportunities, so they can achieve at school and beyond.” – Hackney Pirates
The impact
On average, Young Pirates improve their reading age over 50% faster than age related expectations. 78% of teachers saw an increase in perseverance and 95% of parents saw an increase in confidence. I couldn’t get over the fact that as Partners, we could use our work time to volunteer to help.
Class-time
During my time there, students were working on brilliantly creative projects. The first few weeks, there was a focus on personal essays that were going to feature in a book. That’s right, how cool to become a published author before you’re a teenager? Another week was researching your name and its origins. Acting, brainstorming and working on a movie script based on ancient Egypt filled other sessions. Again, how cool to contribute a whole creative project at such a young age? Hackney Pirates is giving these children such unique and hugely positive experiences.
Every day is a school day
So what did I learn? That it’s the best thing is the world to lose yourself and be silly. Children are innately joyful and full of imagination. They live in moment effortlessly. The games at the start of the class set the tone and they’re a hilarious mix of giggling, loosening up at letting go. Splat – which involves everyone using their fingers as guns and trying to take each other out is one of my favourites…needless to say, I never won!
A world of possibilities
I learned the beauty and differences in cultures, languages and nationalities. Each week, Young Pirates would share stories about family, friends and what they loved in life as you read and wrote together. For one Young Pirate it was football, while another couldn’t put a copy of the The Dork Diaries down she was enjoying it so much.
Building confidence
I also loved the emphasis on respect and inclusion. My memories of drama lessons at school are full of embarrassment and unease. It was fantastic to observe teachers and Young Pirates contract on how they would behave when each took the stage. You could see the Young Pirates overcome challenges and push themselves week on week and receive praise and reassurance.
Get involved
Our move to Zurich means that I’ve finished my time at Haringey Pirates but I couldn’t recommend getting involved enough. Push yourself out of your comfort zone and give some time to others. Believe me, what you get in return is priceless. I wish both Hackney and Haringey Pirate Ships all the best for the year ahead and if you’re interested in volunteering, here’s some information.