Contributor Hub.
Welcome to the ThreadPoint Contributor Hub. This space is for volunteers, advisors and skills-based contributors supporting ThreadPoint Foundation’s work with children, families, communities and infrastructure partners.
Before You Begin
Please complete your volunteer onboarding before supporting a ThreadPoint session.
Before the session, please:
complete the Volunteer onboarding form here.
watch the welcome video below
read the safeguarding and consent guidance
select your volunteer role below and read the relevant guidance
Questions before the session? Please contact Willow on willow@threadpoint.studio or book time for a call here.
Start Here
Once you have completed the onboarding form, please begin by watching this short introduction to ThreadPoint, what we teach, and why it matters.
Video 1: Welcome to ThreadPoint: What We Teach and Why
Description: An introduction to ThreadPoint, what we teach, and why it matters. This video gives facilitators the context behind the programme before moving into session delivery.
Safeguarding & Consent
Before supporting a session, please read the full safeguarding and consent guidance below.
The main things to remember are:
do not photograph or film any child unless this has been clearly approved
no-photo lanyards must always be respected
if a child is upset, overwhelmed, or shares something concerning, tell the Lead Facilitator straight away
do not promise confidentiality
if you are unsure, ask
A missed photo is always better than a safeguarding mistake.
Volunteer Policy
For our Volunteers, we reimburse reasonable travel expenses, and for volunteer shifts over 4 hours, we also reimburse lunch expenses. We aim to make volunteering accessible and will always be clear about what is covered in advance.
Choose Your Role
Please select the role you are supporting so you can read the guidance most relevant to you. Some volunteers may support more than one area over time, but please begin with the role you have been matched to.
A note on access
The Volunteer Hub is designed to give you the information you need for your specific role. Some materials are open to all volunteers, while role-specific guidance, research materials or strategic documents may only be shared once the relevant agreements are in place.
This helps us keep children safe, protect community data, and safeguard ThreadPoint’s educational IP, characters, workshop materials and methodology.
In-Session Roles
Infrastructure Ambassador
Best for: Data centre, infrastructure, engineering, sustainability, energy, construction, planning, operations, digital, or technology professionals.
As an Infrastructure Ambassador, you sit alongside children during LEGO builds and help them connect what they are building to the real world. You do not need to teach a formal lesson. Your role is to gently share your experience, ask curious questions, and help children see that real people design, build, operate and care for the systems behind the internet.
You might support a table, talk about your career journey, help children think about cooling, power, cables, safety or teamwork, and encourage them to explain their ideas in their own words.
This is one of the most visible and meaningful in-session roles, especially for children who may never have met someone working in digital infrastructure before.
Community Liaison & Translator
Best for: Volunteers who speak community languages, understand local communities, or are confident helping families feel welcome.
Community Liaison & Translator volunteers help make sessions more accessible for families who may feel unsure, nervous, or less confident in English. You may support with simple explanations, help families understand the session flow, welcome parents and carers, or assist with translation where appropriate.
This role is especially valuable in diverse communities where families may speak Bengali, Somali, Romanian, Arabic, Turkish or other local languages. You are not expected to act as a formal interpreter unless agreed in advance. Your role is to help people feel included, respected and able to participate.
Communications & Content Volunteer
Best for: Volunteers with experience in social media, newsletters, LinkedIn, PR, copywriting, storytelling or community communications.
Communications & Content Volunteers help ThreadPoint share its work clearly and consistently with schools, families, communities, partners and industry. This may include drafting social media posts, helping with newsletter copy, shaping short updates, or supporting simple event communications.
This role works from approved messaging, photos and brand materials. Volunteers do not create new strategic positioning, unpublished programme language, or campaign concepts without approval.
The aim is to help ThreadPoint communicate its impact while protecting the integrity of the brand and the children and communities involved.
Research Associate
Best for: Postgraduate students, academics, researchers, evaluation specialists, education professionals, policy professionals, or analytically minded industry volunteers.
Research Associates support the evidence base behind ThreadPoint’s work. This may include observing sessions, helping analyse feedback, organising qualitative comments, supporting impact reporting, identifying emerging themes, or contributing to research notes.
This role is especially important as ThreadPoint develops its work around infrastructure literacy, community engagement, digital inclusion, children’s learning, and public understanding of data centres and digital infrastructure.
Research Associates do not access sensitive materials automatically. Access will depend on the task, agreements in place, and the level of confidentiality required.
Session Supporter
Best for: Volunteers who enjoy practical, hands-on support and helping a session run smoothly.
Session Supporters help with the practical side of delivery. This may include setting up tables, laying out LEGO kits, welcoming families, supporting registration, helping children find materials, keeping the room tidy, and assisting with pack down at the end.
This role is hugely valued because calm logistics make the whole session feel safe, welcoming and well-run. You do not need specialist industry knowledge for this role, just reliability, warmth and attention to detail.
Remote & Skills-Based Roles
Impact Documenter
Best for: Volunteers with photography, video, editing, storytelling, reporting, or documentation skills.
Impact Documenters help capture the story of ThreadPoint sessions. This may include taking approved photos or videos during sessions, editing short clips afterwards, organising visual evidence, or helping turn session moments into impact material.
This role is governed by strict safeguarding and consent rules. You must only photograph or film children where consent has been confirmed, and only on agreed devices or systems. No personal phone photography is permitted unless explicitly agreed in advance.
This role helps ThreadPoint show partners, funders and communities what the work looks like in practice.
Resource Creator
Best for: Volunteers with education, STEM, computing, design, writing, curriculum, activity design, or digital learning experience.
Resource Creators help develop simple, child-friendly learning materials that support ThreadPoint sessions and follow-on activities. This may include challenge cards, vocabulary prompts, activity sheets, reflection questions, or simple digital learning resources.
This role is remote and flexible. It is best suited to people who enjoy translating complex ideas into clear, accessible resources for children and families.
For IP and quality reasons, all resources must follow ThreadPoint’s approved tone, structure and brand guidance. Volunteers support the development of resources but do not create standalone ThreadPoint methodology or curriculum independently.
Design Volunteer
Best for: Volunteers with graphic design, Canva, layout, report design, presentation or visual communication skills.
Design Volunteers help make ThreadPoint materials clear, beautiful and easy to understand. This may include impact report layouts, brochure design, challenge card graphics, simple presentation slides, or formatting existing content into approved templates.
This is a remote and flexible role. You will usually work from approved text, imagery, colours and templates.
ThreadPoint works with protected educational IP, original characters and child-focused materials, so all design work must remain within agreed brand boundaries and must not be reused, copied or adapted outside ThreadPoint.
Legal Pro Bono Advisor
Best for: Lawyers or legally trained professionals able to offer occasional pro bono support.
Legal Pro Bono Advisors support ThreadPoint on an occasional basis with practical legal review. This may include reviewing contracts, service agreements, licensing terms, consent wording, partnership agreements, IP clauses, or volunteer-related documentation.
This is a light-touch advisory role rather than an ongoing operational commitment. It is particularly helpful as ThreadPoint works across education, community engagement, corporate partnerships, children’s content and protected intellectual property.
Strategic Role
Best for: Senior professionals across data centres, digital infrastructure, energy, planning, sustainability, ESG, social value, education, policy, workforce development or community engagement.
Industry Advisors join ThreadPoint’s strategic advisory strand. This is for professionals who want to contribute sector insight beyond individual volunteering.
The role may include quarterly roundtable discussions, reviewing emerging themes from sessions, contributing to conversations around community benefit, workforce pipelines, public understanding of infrastructure, and how industry can support children and communities without turning education into corporate marketing.
This route may also connect to ThreadPoint Institute discussions on infrastructure literacy, the computing curriculum, public trust, digital inclusion and community engagement.
This role is suitable for senior employees or specialist professionals who can bring thoughtful, strategic insight to ThreadPoint’s long-term work.
ThreadPoint Institute Contributor Route
The ThreadPoint Institute Contributor Route is for selected professionals, researchers and sector specialists who want to support the thinking behind ThreadPoint’s work.
This route sits alongside our Industry Advisor role and is designed for people who can contribute insight into infrastructure literacy, digital inclusion, community engagement, future skills, public understanding of data centres, and the role of education in helping communities understand the systems around them.
Contributors may be invited to take part in roundtable discussions, research conversations, curriculum-focused discussions or sector insight sessions. Topics may include the computing curriculum, infrastructure literacy, community benefit, public trust, workforce pathways, AI infrastructure and neighbourhood engagement.
This is an insight-sharing route, not a governance role. Contributors do not direct ThreadPoint’s strategy, own programme materials, or represent ThreadPoint publicly unless agreed in writing.
Access to Institute discussions or materials may require additional confidentiality agreements depending on the topic.
Best suited to: senior industry professionals, researchers, education specialists, policy professionals, ESG/social value leads, community engagement specialists and infrastructure professionals with an interest in public understanding and future skills.
FAQs
What should I do if I am running late for a session?
1
Please let the session lead know as soon as possible. Good communication helps us adjust calmly and keep the day running smoothly.
What should I do if I am ensure about something before the session?
2
Please ask before delivery rather than guessing on the day. It is always better to check in advance if you are unsure about materials, timing, your role, or anything else in the hub.
Please contact Willow on +447801424205 or willow@threadpoint.studio in the event of any emergencies.
What are the main non-negotiables I need to remember?
3
The key non-negotiables are:
confirm consent before any photo or video is taken
make sure ‘no-photo’ lanyards are used correctly
record the before and after hand counts
ensure every LEGO build includes cooling
complete any required feedback or session notes after delivery
Can I take photos or videos on my own phone?
4
No. Only agreed session devices should be used, and only when consent has been confirmed. If there is any uncertainty, do not take the photo or video.
Thank You
Thank you for supporting ThreadPoint.
Your time, care, and attention help create a calm, welcoming, and well-run experience for children and families.