Tag: volunteering

King Edward Mine Museum Looking for More Volunteers Ahead of 2025 Season

King Edward Mine Museum Looking for More Volunteers Ahead of 2025 Season

mikenevell

King Edward Mine Museum (KEM), a volunteer-led charity within the UNESCO Mining World Heritage Area of Cornwall, is looking for more tour guides when it re-opens for the new season on 20 April.

The site saw a significant rise in visitor numbers last year, many of whom travelled from overseas to explore the mine complex. The museum, which is dedicated to sharing the history of mining on the Great Flat Lode, and is Grade II* listed, lies in the village of Troon, near Camborne.

The mine tells the stories of Cornish miners and maintains a collection of historic mining equipment, including an operational Cornish tin mill, and a Holman winding engine. Originally worked under the name of Old Tye it was opened in 1844 together with Great Condurrow about 300m to the north, finally closing in 1921. However, the surface buildings continued in use for the teaching of mining, ore dressing, and surveying skills until 1974. In 1987 a volunteer group was formed with the aim of conserving the site as an educational resource for the future and the local community. 

If you would like to volunteer as a museum guide or help in the reception area in 2025, follow this link for more details: https://www.kingedwardmine.co.uk/about/volunteering

Volunteers Needed to Help Preserve Gloucester’s Historic Canal and Docks

Volunteers Needed to Help Preserve Gloucester’s Historic Canal and Docks

mikenevell

The Canal & River Trust is seeking people to join its team of fantastic volunteers and help care for the historic Gloucester Docks and the Gloucester & Sharpness Canal. There are a wide range of opportunities on offer.

The Trust is seeking volunteers to join its Gloucester Task Force, which cares for the environment around Gloucester Docks, making it a special place to visit, popular with boaters, local people and visitors. People who have a passion for teaching and inspiring young people are needed to support the Trust’s Explorers education programme. This role offers the opportunity to bring the waterways and their heritage to life for children and schools through events, visits and the National Waterways Museum.

The National Waterways Museum Gloucester is a popular visitor destination in the heart of the docks. The museum needs volunteers to act as guides and talk to visitors, sharing their passion for local history, the docks and what the waterways has provided for people and wildlife for over two centuries.

The canal boasts 18 historic swing bridges running down its entire length from Gloucester to Sharpness. Volunteer bridge keepers are needed to keep these bridges open for boats to navigate the canal, speaking to people and keeping them safe while operating the bridges.

Once the broadest and deepest canal in the world, the Gloucester & Sharpness Canal still stands out from other navigations because of its sheer scale and impressive engineering. Its rich history in acting as a bypass to protect boats from a treacherous stretch of the River Severn is still alive today, with Gloucester Docks a stunning Victorian inland port, and home to the popular Tall Ships Festival. To discover more about the work of the Canal & River Trust, and how you can volunteer or donate, go to canalrivertrust.org.uk.

19th century canal warehouse at the Glouscester Docks. Image copyright Dr Michael Nevell.