Explore York Libraries and Archives Annual Review 2024-25 - Report - Page 21
Volunteering
Explore offers volunteer opportunities in our
archives and in all libraries and reading cafés.
Volunteer roles include storytelling, shelving or
helping care for the archives, to gardening and
running social clubs.
Explore’s commitment to encouraging and
supporting volunteers, demonstrates how we
contribute to stronger communities.
Volunteers report positive impacts on their
health, wellbeing, and skills and learning.
This has been a very successful year for our
volunteer programme in archives, and for our
newly launched collections care volunteer
role. Volunteering hours at the archives have
increased by 58% . The collections care
volunteers are contributing to the work of
Setting the Record Straight by supporting the
archivists with packaging and cleaning tasks.
“I can’t tell you how much
better I feel for coming here. It
really brightens my week and
gives me a sense of purpose.”
“I just want to say how I am enjoying
volunteering here. It has changed my
life. I lost my partner 18 months ago
and felt hopeless and lost. I came into
the library and asked if there were
any volunteering jobs. The answer
was yes, and I’ve never looked back. I
regularly go out with a couple of the
other volunteers, we go out for days,
meals and a coffee and I’ve even
joined their reading group. I feel alive
again and supported. It was a great
day when I walked in here.”
“Being a garden volunteer brings
sunshine into my life!”
“The role has made me cycle
into town regularly keeping me
fit! A sense of accomplishment
helping to preserve York’s history
and sparking an interest in
researching local history.”
Explore Annual Review 2024/25
21
