Find out what it's like to volunteer on the Embsay & Bolton Abbey Steam Railway at the open day on Saturday 19 July.
Run by a dedicated team of volunteers, there are many varied roles available – clean, public facing roles selling tickets, working in the shops, cafes, assisting passengers, and also more physical roles such as working on the footplate as a driver or fireman or maintaining the track.
A spokesperson for the railway said:
"The maintenance of our infrastructure – our historic carriages, locomotives and stations – much of which is over 100 years old – is a constant challenge. Our restoration work is only limited by the number of hours our volunteers can give and the funds which we have available. Have a glance around our site and you will see we are not short of projects to restore – only volunteers and money!
"On a typical operating day we require a Responsible Officer, Signalman (x2), Driver (x2), Fireman (x2), Cleaner (x2), Platform staff, Guards (x2), Ticket sellers (x2), Cafe staff (x2), Shop staff (x2), Travelling Ticket Inspectors and various other volunteers in supporting roles. This can put an enormous strain on our volunteers, and we welcome any additional offers of help.
"There is training offered for whichever role you might wish to persue, with no minimum commitment. Some volunteers come every weekend, others perhaps every month – although volunteers undertaking duties such as Guarding or Footplate turns are required to attend reasonably frequently to ensure safety and familiarity is not compromised.
"We have roles suitable for all ages – although anyone under 16 needs to be supervised by their parents or another responsible adult. Neither are we constrained by ‘traditional’ gender based roles – we have lady drivers, firemen and cleaners on the footplate and plenty of gentlemen working on the catering side of the railway. If you have the desire, aptitude and fitness for a particular role then we will support you and offer you training for it."
There is a dedicated website which provides information for volunteers members: www.ydr-volunteer.co.uk
For further information and to register for the open day on 19 July please fill our the form at the bottom of hwww.embsayboltonabbeyrailway.org.uk/aboutus/volunteering
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