Volunteering at Nunnington Hall

Volunteer stories at Nunnington Hall

Jane – Room Guide

I’ve been a Room Guide for over 10 years and enjoy my role greatly.

Nunnington Hall has a rich family history and unique atmosphere, which is a pleasure to share with the many visitors, who are always interesting and often have fascinating stories themselves to share and questions to ask.

So I find my regular volunteer stint here to be stimulating, rewarding and enjoyable.

Helen – Garden Volunteer

When our daughter Kate was four we had a brilliant holiday in Cornwall and visited the garden at Trelissick. The garden volunteers there seemed to be doing some really interesting things and I remember thinking at the time that I'd like to be part of a team like that one day.

Kate is now 36 and I'm in my seventh year as a garden volunteer at Nunnington. When I retired from teaching it was top of my list of how I would now like to spend my newfound freedom.

It has proved to be everything I had hoped it would be: an endless variety of fascinating gardening jobs in a garden to which we, in the team, are all deeply attached; coffee and lunch breaks with lovely people; and some memorable random chats with appreciative visitors.

I'm not planning to stop any time soon.

Aida - Room Guide

When my husband passed away I was unsure what I could fill my time with now I was not a carer.

I brought some friends from Kent to visit Nunnington Hall which at the time was open when similar houses were closed. When I evinced interest in volunteering I was warmly welcomed and it has been a pleasure to join the team and volunteer on alternative Sundays ever since.

I particularly enjoy meeting the visitors who are often on their holidays, and listening to their stories. Other volunteers are always friendly and supportive. 

After two years I feel it is something I enjoy and will continue to do as long as they will have me!

Linda and Gary - A couple of all-rounders

My husband Gary and I have been volunteers at Nunnington Hall and Rievaulx Terrace for 12 years.

I volunteer at Nunnington on Tuesdays, Saturdays and sometimes at special events on other days. I also established a second-hand bookshop a few years ago and still help manage it today. Gary works at Nunnington on Mondays as a handyman gardener and in the same role on Thursdays at Rievaulx, and he also helps with special events.

Before we retired we both were hard-working professionals, myself in teaching and Gary a surveyor. However, we found doing nothing all the time a bit boring after the initial euphoria of not having to go to work, so we looked around for volunteer work locally and discovered these two lovely National Trust properties fairly close by.

We applied and were accepted and have never regretted it. We’re now a couple of old stagers and probably two of the longest serving volunteers, but we hope to carry on as long as we are able because we feel so part of the big National Trust family.

Get involved

If you are interested in joining the team at Nunnington Hall, visit the National Trust Volunteering website to search for our current opportunities and get in touch.

Thank you

Thank you to all our volunteers who give their time to support the National Trust in many different roles.