Thinking about volunteering for the first time? Many people look for opportunities to support young people in schools, libraries, or youth programmes, but aren’t sure where to start.
Whether you want to help young people, gain experience, or give back to your community, volunteering at Code Club is a great way to both make a difference and build your own skills.
What is Code Club?
Code Club is a global community of free coding clubs for young people. Code Clubs are organised by educators and volunteers, and run in schools, libraries, and other community venues. Using free step-by-step learning materials provided by Code Club, young people create their own games, animations, and much more in a fun, supportive environment.
The activities are designed to help young people learn coding from the very beginning, and include projects involving a range of programming languages, as well as activities that do not require computers. Educators and volunteers facilitate the sessions and offer support as young people learn, but they do not need any programming experience themselves to get started.
Why volunteer at Code Club?
Volunteering with young people gives you the chance to make a direct impact on future generations — all while building your own skills.
You do not need any technical skills or teaching experience to start or volunteer at a Code Club. Communication skills, patience, and enthusiasm are much more important than formal experience.
“Finding out how to do something by searching online, asking other coders and the mentors is part of the Code Club experience (and the experience of being a professional programmer!). The main thing is not to be afraid to admit you don’t know something. Although this can be alarming at first, I’ve found the coders are happy to be told that I’ll look at it over the next week and report back. And that they should do the same so we can compare notes. And if they know how to do something that you don’t, they absolutely love explaining it to you!”
– Claire Quigley, club mentor at a Code Club that runs in a library in Glasgow, Scotland
Volunteering at Code Club can also open doors. For some people, it becomes a pathway into teaching, youth work, or other education roles. For others, it’s simply a meaningful way to support young people in their local community and share their skills and experience, whilst building their own valuable transferable skills.
Do you need any qualifications?
You don’t need any formal qualifications to volunteer with Code Club. Volunteers come from a wide range of professional backgrounds, and some are completely new to coding or working with young people.
We asked Claire what she would say to someone who does not see themselves as ‘technical enough’ but is curious about getting involved:
“The majority of library staff didn’t have any background in programming. They are simply happy to learn as they go along and help the children make their ideas come to life. In fact, one of these ‘non-technical’ staff ran a very popular and successful club and supported a team of coders to develop a project that [was chosen as a judges’ favourite] at Coolest Projects.”
Code Club provides step-by-step resources, so your role is to support and encourage young people as they learn. You will usually need a background check, but we provide guidance to help you organise this. We also provide free safeguarding training, to help you ensure a safe learning environment and make sure you feel confident in your role.
If you would like to develop your technical skills, there are also free training courses available to help you.
How to get started
If you are thinking about getting started with Code Club, a good first step is to look locally. Many clubs running in libraries, community spaces, and schools are often looking for volunteers.
You can find a nearby club using the Code Club website, or if there isn’t one in your local area, you could start your own. Most clubs run for just an hour or two each week, making it easy to fit around your schedule. A small, regular commitment is all that’s needed to make a real difference.
Volunteering at Code Club is open to people aged 16 and over. If you are younger than 16, it’s still worth reaching out to your local club, as some clubs offer opportunities to get involved as a youth mentor.
Whether you are helping at an existing club or starting your own, we provide everything you need to feel confident supporting young creators. Taking that first step into volunteering might feel like a big one — but starting small can quickly lead to something meaningful.
If you would like to find out more about what mentoring looks like and the different ways you can get involved, visit the Code Club mentor page to explore guidance, training, and next steps.
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