Volunteer open day at Knightshayes Court

Can you spare a few hours a week? Are you looking for some work experience or want to meet new friends from all walks of life? If so, mark Saturday 21 April in your diary as Knightshayes Court is holding an open day for people who are interested in becoming a volunteer. From lending a hand in the garden, to caring for our precious collections, there's plenty of different ways to get involved.

The 262 acre estate on the outskirts of Tiverton is reliant on over 200 volunteers to help look after it and open its doors to the public on a daily basis. Alice Morgan-Brown, who co-ordinates the recruitment volunteers at Knightshayes, says:

‘We are always looking to keep up with the changing face of volunteering  and over the last few years we’ve taken on many new volunteers into a huge variety of roles, which has been brilliant. However, people sometimes drop out because of conflicting commitments so we are always looking for new people to join the team. We’ve reviewed all the roles available and all the skills we might need, and there is pretty much a role to suit anyone.’

Volunteer roles vary enormously, from room guides to gardeners, and to help people understand the roles better and to ask any questions, existing volunteers will be giving tours of the house and gardens throughout the open day.

Alice is particularly keen to take on some friendly faces as part of the house team. ‘Room guides play a huge role in bringing the secrets and stories of this fascinating house to life. No experience is necessary as full training is provided – the only thing we ask is for an open mind, a friendly smile and a passion for sharing the treasures of Knightshayes with those they meet.’

For more information about the open day, please telephone 01884254665.