National Trust in Herefordshire looking for volunteers

The National Trust in Herefordshire are currently looking for volunteers to help bring their special places to life and protect them for future generations.

A willingness to get involved, desire for a new challenge and enthusiasm for the Trust’s cause is all that’s needed. An abundance of nature, beauty and history can be found at Croft Castle, Berrington Hall, Brockhampton and The Weir Garden, including historic houses, walled gardens and acres of parkland, enjoyed by thousands of visitors every year.

The volunteering roles currently available are:  

• House/room guides bring alive history for visitors. By sharing the history of the places and the stories that have happened within their four walls, they are vital in ensuring that visitors have an inspiring and informative visit.
• Welcome volunteers meet and greet every single visitor to the National Trust and have excellent customer service skills. Their role involves providing a warm and friendly welcome, scanning membership cards, selling trails and sharing key information with visitors to ensure they have an enjoyable visit (Berrington Hall and Brockhampton only).
• Bookshop volunteers work in the second-hand bookshops and create displays, sort donated books, collect donations and engage with visitors (Brockhampton and Berrington Hall only).
• Garden volunteers help to keep the green spaces the National Trust care for looking their best. Working within a team, you will undertake a wide variety of garden tasks; from clearing brambles and scrubby ground to planting and harvesting, anything and everything that the garden needs (The Weir Garden only).
• Visitor experience volunteers assist with the delivery of events at National Trust places in Herefordshire. From setting up trails, assisting with children’s craft activities and helping with theatre performances, these volunteers help create lasting memories and ensure a fun day out for everyone. Visitor experience volunteers can also get involved with marketing.

Volunteering provides an opportunity to make new friends, explore interests and learn more about the local area. It is also a brilliant way to boost your CV and learn new skills. Full training and support is provided for all the roles and volunteers are able to choose which days suit them and how many hours they’d like to give.

Katie Pothecary, House Guide Volunteer at Berrington Hall says: “As one of the newer volunteers, I can hand on my heart say that it’s been one of the most rewarding decisions I’ve made for a very long time. It’s a wonderful feeling to be able to spend time in such an incredible place, with likeminded people who care so much about the heritage of Berrington. No day goes by where I don’t learn something new - from a fellow volunteer, a member of staff, or a visitor! Volunteering with the Trust is a no brainer - you get to spend your free time in gorgeous surroundings with incredible people. What’s not to like?”.