An amazing opportunity to help run a railway

• Volunteer Recruitment Fair at Toddington – March 21 and 22

• Hundreds of opportunities for anyone to get involved

THE Gloucestershire Warwickshire Steam Railway (GWSR) is encouraging more people to volunteer to help run its fast-growing and popular line.

This at a time when Government statistics suggest that nearly three-quarters of UK adults give their time for voluntary causes at least once per year while a third are regular volunteers.

The GWSR depends on volunteers to operate its heritage steam and diesel trains over 12-miles of the former Honeybourne Line through the Cotswolds, between Cheltenham Racecourse, Gotherington, Winchcombe, Toddington and Laverton.

It’s now offering exciting opportunities for men and women who feel that they would like to offer their time or skills to this dynamic, award-winning visitor attraction.

And over the weekend of March 21 and 22, the railway is throwing open its doors to anyone who would like to discover how rewarding it can be to get involved.

Volunteer Recruitment Director Philip Young – himself a volunteer – says that although the railway benefits from the effort of some 800 volunteers, there is a ‘core’ of around 200 who do so on a very regular basis.

“That might sound a lot of people - but our railway needs between 50 and 75 people each day to operate successfully and provide enjoyment for well over 100,000 visitors each year, around 86,000 of whom travel on the trains. That’s quite apart from the range of ‘back office’ skills such as finance and marketing that are just as important.

“Our volunteers range from school age to retirement age. There’s something to suit everyone, men and women. We are of course very grateful to everyone whether they offer just a few hours from time to time or turn up to get stuck in most weekends,” he says.

He points out that the railway runs trains every weekend and bank holiday between March and December, as well as most weekdays during the peak holiday season and school half-terms, although when trains are not running there is a lot of maintenance carried out.

“What’s more, the railway is extending a further two miles to Broadway where volunteers are building a new station on the site of the original demolished in the 1960s. When that extension opens, we’ll need even more volunteers!”

Philip Young points out: “You certainly don’t have to be a railway buff to enjoy participating in running what is a vital contributor to the Cotswolds tourist economy.

“Increasingly, people are volunteering simply because they enjoy doing so – they might have skills they want to offer or like interaction with the public in the same way that volunteers become involved with running stately homes or other historic attractions.

“And, most volunteers quickly make a lot of like-minded friends and develop new skills. I think every one of our volunteers goes home after a day at the railway feeling fulfilled and feeling that they have made a real contribution to a worthwhile cause.”

The railway is inviting interested people to pre-register by going to gwsr.com (or they can register when they arrive at Toddington station).

Registered visitors will have an opportunity to find out about the history of the line and its development in preservation; visit volunteers of each department to find out what they do and how to get involved and to take the train to Winchcombe to discover more.

Potential volunteers don’t have to have any particular skill but if they do, they’re certain to find an opportunity to use it, or indeed learn something completely new.

What’s on offer?

Visitors who have pre-registered their interest should make themselves known when they arrive at a reception gazebo, or can register there.

A printed guide will help them find what they are looking for and there will be volunteers on hand to point them in the right direction:

At Toddington

• Story of the railway – a presentation that explains the compelling history of the Honeybourne Line

• Administration team running the day-to-day office, dealing with enquiries – an important front-line role

• Commercial, marketing and development, including special events

• Welcoming and looking after organised parties of visitors

• Business skills – management, finance, marketing, media (including social media), operations

• Steam and diesel locomotive departments: range of skills from engineering and machining including restoration and maintenance of locomotives with the eventual opportunity to work on the footplate

• Fire brigade (the railway has its own fire engines), first aid and first responders

• Friends of Toddington Station (who keep the station looking at its best)

• Friends of Broadway Station – who are building Broadway station, signalbox and footbridge and are looking for building, electrical and plumbing skills

• North Gloucestershire Narrow Gauge Railway which operates 2ft-gauge trains along a short line at Toddington

• Shops and retail operations

On the train

• Travelling Ticket Inspectors who can become Guards At Winchcombe

• Catering – both on-train and at the ‘Coffee Pot’ café, a vital customer-facing role

• Station staff: booking office leading to Station Master – again a vital customer facing occupation

• Visit the Carriage & Wagon department which uses carpentry, bodywork, electrical, painting, upholstry and engineering skills

• Signal & Telegraph, restoring and maintaining signals and telecommunications

• Signalmen - ensuring our trains operate safely

• Building services – painting, decorating, bricklaying, plumbers and electricians: the railway has a lot of buildings and bridges

• School visits to the railway (such as the ‘Wartime children’s evacuation’ experience) and educational outreach

• Model railway (in a special carriage)

• Young Volunteers group for secondary school age youngsters “There really is something for everyone,” says Philip Young.

“Once people have had had a chat, there’s an opportunity to say what they thought of their visit and offer their services.

“The first step is to join the Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway Trust which is a requirement for volunteering and provides safety training and insurance for those who get involved.

“If you want to simply ‘give it a try’ you can even take out a temporary three-month membership. But the important thing is, to give it a go.

We’ll do the rest!

To find out more, go to the railway’s website, gwsr.com or its facebook page.