Make Volunteering Your New Year's Resolution

Have you considered joining our Volunteer team?

Find out more about the opportunities you could enjoy this New Year…

Do have any New Year's resolutions? Perhaps you want to learn something new? Or meet new people? The New Year always kick starts that desire to grow, develop and shake things up a bit for me, a feeling that can otherwise end up under a pile of 'to-do's and 'another time's.

About nine years ago this fresh sense of motivation led me to enquire about volunteer opportunities at Watts Gallery – Artists' Village. I was invited to come in for a chat and can still remember the warm welcome from the other volunteers and the genuine desire from the staff to help me find a role that would suit my interests.

After that first meeting I was hooked by the place and the people, and following an induction began stewarding in the galleries (endlessly interesting because of the variety of visitors). I then went on to help in other departments with the aim of strengthening my CV to further my career in arts and heritage (which proved more fruitful than I could have hoped as, reader, they employed me). In my current role as Volunteer Events Manager I'm lucky enough to work with our fantastic and diverse team of over 300 volunteers.

The 2019 volunteer calendar offers a wide variety of events; including Curator led training, exclusive private views of our temporary exhibitions; craft sessions to learn new skills, quarterly volunteer forums to feedback and contribute to the direction of the Artists' Village as well as socials and celebrations. (See the full calendar below for all the details.)

As an added bonus volunteers also enjoy free admission to Watts Gallery – Artists' Village and a 10% discount in the Watts Shop and Tea Shop.

Current volunteer opportunities include stewarding in the galleries, helping visitors get the most from their visit, getting hands-on in workshops, helping in the gardens, leading tours or being a part of our big events and festivals. Watts Gallery – Artists' Village is a place that is always embracing change and moving forwards and 2019 is no exception. This year we aim to enlarge and diversify our community of volunteers to get involved with growing opportunities in an ever evolving programme of events.

So if your New Year's resolution is to learn something new, meet new people or make a contribution to your community we are holding a drop-in Volunteer Open Morning on Saturday 19 January from 11am to midday in the Old Kiln, next to the Tea Shop. There will be an opportunity to talk to current volunteers and staff, over a coffee and pastry as well as learn more about the roles on offer and the next steps to joining the team.

I hope to see you there.

Alex Hutchings
Volunteer Events Manager

The event is open to all but if you would like any further details or wish to register your interest please email volunteerevents@wattsgallery.org.uk or call 01483 813 580.