November & December 2023 – Before planning your visit, please check our ‘Visitor Notices’ for accessibility updates and one-off changes to opening times. Click here to view.
NEWCASTLE CATHEDRAL
A BEACON OF LIGHT
Come and Join Us on Our next Big Adventure… and Let Us Be Part of Yours!
Lucy Cooke, Volunteer Coordinator at Newcastle Cathedral, writes…
One of the things that has always struck me in the 20 years or so I have been working in the field of volunteer coordination, is the passion, drive and enthusiasm that motivates those people who choose to give up their precious time to support a place or a cause.
With so many organisations competing for people’s time, it’s important to recognise that there are many reasons why a volunteer chooses to support you and to make sure that you can fulfil their requirements as much as them fulfilling your organisation’s needs.
Having now spent 18 months with the volunteers here at Newcastle Cathedral, pandemic notwithstanding, I can attest to the fact that here is no different!
Here at the Cathedral, the next stage of our journey is well underway, not just in terms of the physical refurbishment of the building and its heritage but also in revitalising and expanding the community of people who share in its life. The ongoing coronavirus pandemic has made it impossible for most of our volunteers to carry out their roles which play such an integral part in our life and the planned expansion of our volunteer team has been delayed significantly. However, we look forward with optimism to a time in the not too distant future when we can open our doors once more and welcome back our wonderful volunteers and hopefully some new recruits too!
Our volunteers are an integral part of everything we do here at the Cathedral, to support and enrich the lives of all who work for, worship with and visit us. Some of our current volunteers have come from within the Cathedral’s worshipping congregation. Their motivation comes perhaps from within their personal faith and an attachment to the church to which they belong.
You’d be forgiven for thinking that this would be true for most if not all of our regular volunteers, but that isn’t the case. Some of them are interested in history and are fascinated by the position and impact the Cathedral has had on the developing city of Newcastle over the centuries. Some are inspired by the Cathedral’s sense of radical welcome to devote time to supporting that particular function. Many are motivated by faith, but many are not – we are open to volunteers of all faiths and none.
The only crucial requirement to being a Newcastle Cathedral Volunteer is a desire to be part of our continuing journey and to use your skills to support us along the way. In return, the Cathedral offers opportunities to develop new skills, make new friends and meet a rich and varied range of people.
It is an immense privilege to be playing my part in that process and I cannot wait to meet and welcome new volunteers to our team, from as diverse a range of communities as possible, and to learn about what it is that draws them to this place and what keeps them here.
Why not consider joining us! Here are some of the opportunities we currently have available:
- Cathedral Welcomer – Our volunteer welcome team are the face of Newcastle Cathedral; responsible for greeting visitors and ensuring that they have all the information and support they need to enjoy their visit.
- As a Cathedral Retail Volunteer, you will directly support our Hospitality & Visitor Experience Coordinator in the day to day running of our retail outlet within the Cathedral Nave.
- Lantern Tower Tour Guides will work in pairs to take small groups of visitors up to the top of the Cathedral’s lantern tower, sharing with them key information and pointing out key views across the city.
- Our Cathedral Tour Guides provide a range of tours for visitors from short and snappy ‘My Favourite Things’ tours to longer more specialist pre-booked tours around a specific theme.
You can fill in an application via our volunteering portal, or email me at lucy.cooke@newcastlecathedral.org.uk if you have any questions.
I hope to hear from some of you soon, and look forward to welcoming you to our amazing team!