Living the Lantern by Vanessa Ward, Volunteer Coordinator

For centuries, Newcastle Cathedral’s Lantern Tower guided travellers along the River Tyne. Today, the Cathedral serves as a beacon of support for those navigating challenging circumstances in life.

This article was first published in the May 2024 edition of Link Extra, the monthly magazine for news and stories from across the Diocese of Newcastle.

‘Radical Welcome’, one of the Cathedral’s core values, is an extremely important part of who we are and what we do. Volunteers play a crucial role in delivering this. They are part of the lifeblood of the Cathedral community, and without them, we simply could not operate in the same way.

I joined the Cathedral team as the Volunteer Coordinator in October last year. I derive real joy from working alongside the volunteers, developing relationships and taking immense pleasure in how much they love the Cathedral and what it stands for.

All new volunteers undergo training, and ‘Radical Welcome training’ is a central part of this, which they really engage with.

From tour guiding and assisting with educational visits to arranging flowers, acting as servers, and helping in the retail area to providing support at events and playing a part in Cathedral governance, the role of a volunteer is varied and utilises many skillsets.

We have extremely knowledgeable tour guides who undertake extensive research about the Cathedral’s history. They are part
of the treasure trove of individuals who so generously give time to us. Volunteers also provide support for the choristers and the musical tradition of the Cathedral, very much linked into safeguarding and our absolute commitment to being a safe space.

We value our volunteers – we recognise their gift of time to us. In return, we provide comprehensive training, complimentary access to events, talks, concerts and opportunities for volunteers to meet and socialise with each other.

The other exciting aspect of volunteering is that new roles can be created. We are currently looking to develop gardener or grounds-person roles to help us maintain the perimeter of the Cathedral.

We have another new strand of volunteers called Cathedral Befrienders. They engage with and offer a supportive presence to individuals from the street life community who use the Cathedral on a daily basis. This a true example of radical welcome in action.

If you are interested in volunteering at the Cathedral or to find out more about any of these roles, please visit our Better Impact page or email me at vanessa.ward@newcastlecathedral.org.uk.