The Mansion House Volunteers

Mansion House Volunteers carry out a wide variety of duties in the Mansion House and elsewhere. Here is a brief description of what they do on Open Days.

One or two volunteers will stand on the main entrance steps and engage with members of the public passing by. They invite them to come in and see what is inside. They also ask visitors where they come from and if it is their first visit. This helps us to build up a picture of who our visitors are and this information will support any future funding application to the Heritage Lottery Fund.

In the entrance hall, one or two more volunteers will meet and greet the visitors and record visitor numbers. Visitors are asked if they would like to walk around by themselves or have a guided tour. Some volunteers will wait in the entrance hall, while others prefer to stay in one of the other rooms or circulate around the building. All the volunteers have name badges and are happy to answer any questions about the building and its contents.

Many of our volunteers are very experienced guides capable of leading large parties of people around the Mansion House and talking with authority about the building and its contents. They often provide guided tours on other days for school parties, other private parties, and new British Citizens. The volunteers who wish to become guides must memorise the approved information sheets and then spend some time shadowing the experienced guides to see how they conduct their tours.

Some volunteers like to concentrate on research work in the archives, the local history library, or online and they write articles (for our website) on the Mansion House, its contents, and the people who worked or visited the building over the years. Other volunteers like to dress up in period costumes when Georgian or Victorian events are held in the Mansion House.

In addition to the Open Days, the volunteers often assist at other Council events held at the Mansion House by acting as stewards or by making and serving refreshments to the public and they also take the James Paine Travelling Exhibition out to the local libraries and other venues in the borough.

The volunteers are not required to pay our annual subscription fee. We consider that their time is more valuable to us than their money.

To become a friend or volunteer, please complete the membership form.

Contact Owen Evans, Membership Secretary, for further details:

Tel: 01302 342846 or otexways@gmail.com