Tuesday 5th December marks International Volunteer Day, a chance to celebrate volunteers worldwide as well as our own volunteer team here at Glastonbury Abbey.
International Volunteer Day was established by the UN in 1985, and first observed in 1986, to recognise and celebrate the contributions of volunteers across the world.
This year’s International Volunteer Day theme is ‘If Everyone Did’, focusing on the power of collective action and imagining a world where everyone volunteered.
Glastonbury Abbey currently has over 50 volunteers who contribute across the organisation within the Commercial Activity, Learning and Engagement and Grounds Teams.
So far this year our volunteers have contributed more than 1,400 hours of their time across a variety of roles, including as costumed stewards, wildlife volunteers, photographers, historical dancers, curatorial assistants and groundskeeping.
And in October this year, a team of volunteers worked alongside the grounds team to construct a Sacred Space garden within the abbey.
Glastonbury Abbey has been welcoming volunteers for many years. The volunteering program has allowed us to share skills and knowledge between staff and visitors, create advocacy opportunities and forge connections with the local community and beyond.
So on this International Volunteer Day, we’d like to extend our sincere thanks to our volunteer team for all their hard work and everything they have contributed to the abbey over the years.