NEW volunteers are being recruited as Woodchester Mansion gears up to open for its 2015 season.

Already a couple of dozen new faces have stepped forward to join the existing 60 and more folk who regularly help make the Stroud visitor attraction extra special.

Recruitment sessions in Dursley, Nailsworth and Stroud itself have already paid dividends and there’ll be a further chance this month (March) to sign on to make friends and learn new skills.

Woodchester Mansion, a Victorian Gothic architectural jewel, will be represented at the Stroud Tourism Day on March 14 at Stroud Subscription Rooms.

The celebration of English Tourism Week will be an ideal occasion for Liz Davenport, chair of the Mansion’s Volunteer Liaison Group, to showcase the many volunteering opportunities on offer at the beguiling Woodchester building.

From driving the Mansion minibus, through greeting on the ticket desk, to helping in the tea room or office, and acting as tour guides, Liz and her team tackle it all.

“On our open days the Mansion is staffed by volunteers and during 2015 we will need six volunteers on each day,” Liz said.

“There are opportunities for volunteering in many ways, all of which involve meeting our visitors and helping to make their experience of seeing the Mansion memorable.”

Potential volunteers are offered induction and training sessions.

They can also steward special events like concerts and theatrical performances, and work on maintenance inside and outside the Grade One listed masterpiece.

Woodchester Mansion, which will re-open to the public from April 1, was abandoned mid-construction in 1873.

Its unfinished state offers a view of the stonemason’s craft that is unique in Britain.

The Mansion will then be open every day except Mondays, but including Bank Holiday Mondays, until October 31.

Find out more at: woodchestermansion.org.uk