Inspired by our saints, Cuthbert and Bede, the mission of Durham Cathedral is to offer everyone the opportunity to encounter God and know God’s love in Jesus Christ. We welcome volunteers from any background, of all faiths and none, and those who in turn show respect and sensitivity towards all nationalities, religions, beliefs, cultures, backgrounds, and the ethos of the Cathedral as a working church.
The purpose of this role is to assist with Events (often taking place outside the normal schedule such as concerts and recitals). You will be welcoming the audience and carrying out duties to enable the event to run smoothly.
We are thrilled to be receiving a high volume of applications and enquiries about volunteering at present, although this does mean our processing times are a little longer than usual. We will do our best to reply to your enquiry via County Durham Volunteering within a week, or within two weeks of you making an application through our online application form. Thank you so much for your patience.
In this role you can expect to:
•To be an ambassador for the Cathedral.
•To maintain the highest standards in welcome.
•Distribute any information as necessary and tidy up afterwards.
•Deal with tickets and seating, including escorting VIPS to allocated seats.
•Assist with the safe and efficient flow of people entering and leaving the building.
•Deal with requests and issues arising from members of the public.
•Assist with the safe movement of people within the space.
•Assist with hospitality area
•Maintain an overview of the safety and wellbeing of the audience whilst in the building including emergency evacuation procedures.
For this role, we are seeking volunteers aged 16 or over offering the following:
• A pleasant, professional, polite and welcoming manner.
• A non-judgemental and open welcome to all: respect and sensitivity towards all nationalities, religions, beliefs, cultures and backgrounds and the ethos of the Cathedral as a working church.
• The ability to follow instructions.
• The ability to deal with crowds.
• The ability to deal with difficult situations efficiently and with diplomacy.
• Reliability and flexibility.
• Ability to work in a team alongside other volunteers, staff and clergy.
This role involves moving around the Cathedral space and staying in specific locations for considerable lengths of time while on duty. Unfortunately, some areas of the Cathedral are not fully accessible without the use of steps, and as a historic building, some floors are uneven. Please do let us know if mobility may be challenging for you in this environment.
You will undertake the usual duties of this role in the Nave of the Cathedral and Chapter House, Cloister, Prior’s Hall, and other associated Cathedral spaces as required.
Most events are in the evening, which can mean a late finish. Stewards are required to attend a briefing 45 minutes - 1 hour before the event. A typical duty can be 3 – 3.5 hours long.
We encourage a minimum commitment of six events per year and you can volunteer for these on the rota as your time permits; we shall share out popular events as fairly as possible. We appreciate any gift of time. As these events are public facing, it is important that you inform the Cathedral with as much notice as possible if you are unable to attend.
The following will be provided:
• Induction and familiarisation guided by existing Event Stewards.
• You will be encouraged to undertake further relevant training, as appropriate.
We will also ask you to complete the Church of England Safeguarding Training to Foundations level which is mandatory for all Cathedral volunteers, and also the Association of English Cathedrals Volunteer training and ACT Counter Terrorism Awareness training which are mandatory for this particular role. Further details of how to access the training will be provided once your application form has been accepted.
Unfortunately we are not able to offer expenses.
• The chance to be part of some of the key events in the Cathedral’s calendar, playing an important role in the external perception and reputation of the Cathedral
• Opportunities to meet a wide range of people from across the world, including VIPs
• Your chance to be part of a passionate and supportive community of Cathedral volunteers
• Involvement in the important life and legacy of Durham’s most iconic building
• References available on request
• Opportunity to join the Cathedral’s Community Roll
• Cloister Card offering 10% discount in the Cathedral Shop and Undercroft Restaurant (conditions apply)
• Refreshments
• Various optional volunteer training as available
This role involves moving around the Cathedral space and staying in specific locations for considerable lengths of time while on duty. Unfortunately, some areas of the Cathedral are not fully accessible without the use of steps, and as a historic building, some floors are uneven. Please do let us know if mobility may be challenging for you in this environment.
Please use the information on our website to plan your travel to the Cathedral by public transport or by parking in and around the city. We are not usually able to offer parking in the Cathedral grounds unless agreed in advance.
Wearing of the gowns provided is mandatory for event stewarding to ensure visibility whilst on duty.
