Heritage Volunteers
With the support of our heritage volunteers, we hope to create vibrant spaces that the community of Barnstaple will be proud of. There are six volunteer teams that you can be a part of to help us to achieve the goals set out in our new heritage programme. These teams are:
- Exhibitions Team: Work with the Heritage team to plan, design, and create exhibitions held within the Guildhall.
- Collections Care Team: Assist with the conservation and care of artefacts within the collection of Barnstaple Town Council.
- Research Team: Develop and explore the history surrounding the artefacts and buildings in the Barnstaple Town Council collection.
- Activities and Events Team: Assist with Guildhall events and functions in a friendly and engaging manner.
- Digital Volunteers: Enhance Barnstaple Town Council’s digital offering to the public through website or social media engagement.
Why Volunteer?
Working alongside the Heritage team, our volunteers provide an invaluable service whether that be through research, exhibition planning, helping with community events, or caring for our artefact collections. There are many opportunities to tailor your volunteer role to your personal interests, and all volunteers have the chance to get involved in everything the Guildhall offers.
As a volunteer you will gain a wide range of skills and experience which can then be applied elsewhere. You will work within part of a lively, friendly team and have a chance to discover and investigate the history of Barnstaple. Most of all it is a great way to meet new people, to create a sense of community, and spend time in some fascinating places.
Barnstaple Town Council understands that your time is valuable and that volunteering may be a big commitment. We are happy to create flexible schedules for volunteers, and we offer homeworking as an option for some volunteer tasks and activities.
Current Volunteers
Our research team is doing a fantastic job discovering information about several ongoing research topics that will help inform and inspire exhibitions held within the Guildhall. Currently they are exploring the records regarding local railway history, which will be used within our Rail Fest 2024 exhibition at the start of August. You can find out more information about that here.
Our Collections Care volunteers are hard at work cleaning and caring for our items within the Dodderidge Room, which houses the civic and ceremonial silverware of Barnstaple. This is delicate work that requires a lot of patience, but is an important job that can be very rewarding!
Get Involved!
If you are interested in finding out more about our volunteer teams, please contact our heritage team using the form below, or email heritage@barnstapletowncouncil.gov.uk. Alternatively, you can download the Volunteer Handbook below to look through. This has all the necessary forms to complete if you wish to register as a volunteer.
Volunteer Handbook
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