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Why our volunteers love what they do

Every year we survey our volunteers to see how they are finding their experiences with us. 97% of them said that they love volunteering for us.

Emma Birks

“Variety and dynamism” , “very friendly teams” and “meeting interesting visitors from many different backgrounds and countries”

These are just some of the reasons why our volunteers think the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust is a great place to volunteer! We have a huge range of volunteering opportunities available and we are looking at introducing a new volunteer forum, Volunteer Voices, in 2018. Every year the Trust sends a survey to all its volunteers asking them about their experience.

“Good support and people to work with. I learn something new nearly every week from extremely knowledgeable staff.”

Of those surveyed, 97% said that they love volunteering for this organisation. Many added comments talking about the great teams they work with and the opportunity to meet people from across the globe to talk about Shakespeare. 93% of people said that they feel proud to volunteer for the Trust and 90% said they’d recommend becoming a volunteer with the Trust to others. 

This picture is divided into two. On the left there is a photo of the plate created by Carrie Reichardy. On the right there is a photo of Jed and George holding the plate.
Some of our volunteers have inspired our Artist in Residence!

“Learning about conservation methods has been the most enjoyable as it was great to learn about something that interests me from such passionate and friendly people.”

Several volunteers discussed the personal benefits to them and how they’ve enjoyed the opportunity to feel part of the local community and build new skills through their experiences. One of the most common reasons given when asked why they volunteer with the Trust was a love and passion for Shakespeare and a desire to gain experience in the heritage industry. 

“A very stimulating initiative!”

The Trust is also looking to launch a new forum called ‘Volunteer Voices’ in 2018 to provide the opportunity for volunteers to sit down with members of the Leadership and Senior Management Teams to discuss different aspects of volunteering, such as training, roles and the recruitment process. A survey was sent across to all volunteers earlier in the year and of those surveyed, 83% said they would be interested in taking part in the forum as a representative.

The Shakespeare Birthplace Trust currently has around 150 active volunteers helping us in a wide variety of roles, ranging from engagement to behind the scenes.  

In 2017, volunteers gave the Trust over 24,000 hours of their time and for that we can never be too grateful! The volunteers at the Trust are incredibly valuable to us and we really could not do what we do without them! A huge thank you to you all, and we are looking forward to 2018 and the amazing stories you will contribute to. 

Standing in the garden with the Birthplace behind are four members of the conservation team in black overalls: a woman on the right has a feather duster, a woman on the left, small brushes, the two girls between them have other cleaning equipment.
Our Conservation Volunteers are dedicated and help create a wonderful team

Come and join us! Find out more about volunteering at the Trust.