Bath Abbey’s community contributes over 28,000 voluntary hours per year – with a third of their time dedicated to good causes across the city. In financial terms, it would have cost the Abbey and the city the equivalent of £209,583 last year.
A survey conducted by the Abbey showed that its congregation contributes 345 hours per week to the Abbey alone. With activities as wide-ranging as welcoming visitors and stewarding concerts to running children’s groups and supporting services, the smooth running of the Abbey is made possible by a large and dedicated team of volunteers. The Abbey’s volunteers are equally generous when it comes to donating their time outside the Abbey itself devoting 195 hours per week to other local charities and organisations.
There does not seem to be one area of preference for volunteering with a wide variety of projects and activities covered. These include visiting the elderly, helping with educational workshops and the Soup Runs for Bath’s homeless. The Abbey’s community also takes an active interest in city-wide initiatives helping with the Bath Festivals, turning out in all types of weather as a Mayor’s Guide to show visitors around the city, and collecting and delivering books to readers as a Home Library Service volunteer.
Among the more unusual voluntary roles are running and maintaining an apple orchard, managing a books website for children with special needs and lock keeping for the Canal and Rivers Trust.
Nick Holland, a regular volunteer at the Abbey said: “With my elder daughter off to University and my younger daughter away at school, I felt that I could create some time to do something benefiting other people. After looking at various options at the Bath Volunteer Centre I decided to pursue the role of Welcomer at the Abbey has always fascinated me and I enjoy meeting new people.
“I may welcome in excess of 1,000 visitors from every corner of the earth and every walk of life in the few hours of my shift, offering a fresh challenge every time. I enjoy being part of the Abbey and have yet to meet a volunteer who doesn’t have a smile on their face and a real willingness to give. I would say to anyone thinking of becoming an Abbey volunteer to simply do it, giving up a relatively short amount of time is a rewarding way in helping the workings of an iconic place of worship.”
The Rector of Bath Abbey, the Revd Prebendary Edward Mason, said: “We hear a lot of talk about the Big Society. Here we celebrate a big-hearted society one which contributes hundreds of hours to the Abbey as well as the wider city every week.
“We are extremely grateful to our volunteers, but also very proud of the contribution our congregation makes outside the Abbey. It just goes to show how interlinked the Abbey and the city are.”
If you would like to find out about volunteering at Bath Abbey, please contact Dawn Farmer, Visitors’ Officer at Bath Abbey: 01225 303310 or email: [email protected].
