Literacy Volunteers, a Nottingham-based registered charity, has been supporting children and families for years by promoting reading, communication, and social skills development. With strong partnerships across Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire, the charity relies on a dedicated team of volunteers who give their time each week to help young learners thrive.
Recognising the need to modernise their volunteer training materials, the charity turned to the college’s Level 3 Advanced Content, Film and TV students, who brought fresh creativity and technical skills to the project.
The students filmed at St Patrick's Primary School in Mansfield, capturing authentic footage of a literacy volunteer reading with children of various ages. Interviews were also conducted with both the volunteer and a classroom teacher, who shared their positive experiences and the benefits the programme brings to pupils.
Sue Marriott, lead volunteer co-ordinator at Literacy Volunteers, visited the college to thank the students personally and present them with gift vouchers as a token of appreciation.
She said: “The training videos were really out of date. We knew the students could help bring a new energy and professionalism to them. The volunteers help children engage with reading through books, games, puzzles and even jigsaws. It’s all about building confidence, self-esteem, and a real love of learning.”
The students’ work will be used not only for volunteer training but also to promote the charity online and during volunteer recruitment events.
Student Luca Turner, who worked on the filming and editing, said: “It was actually more enjoyable than some of the other projects I’ve worked on. The school kids were great, and really easy to work with. It felt good to create something that’s going to make a difference.”
The project offered students valuable real-world production experience, from planning and filming to editing and post-production decisions like voiceovers, music overlays, and scene transitions.
The charity is excited to begin rolling out the new video content on its training portal and website.
Sue added: “Every partnership like this expands awareness of what we do. It’s about so much more than reading; it’s about opening doors to a better future.”