Volunteers are amazing. They give their time, energy, and commitment to make our museums and heritage sites better for everyone. In doing this they have created a community across five distinct but connected places. They have done incredible things supporting Barnsley Museums and while we can’t cover everything, here are some highlights from 2025.

Pathways to Work

This year, our volunteering programme helped many people take steps towards work. Through the nationally recognised Pathways to Work initiative, we became a referral point for people looking for work but needing a first step to build their confidence and abilities. A highlight was getting to share this at the highest level and some of our volunteers got to meet then Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, Liz Kendall MP, to share their stories. They showed how volunteering can help people find jobs and feel ready for work.

‘it’s made me think now to develop and keep pushing myself to achieve my dreams and keep going with Elsecar nothing is going to stop me now I’ve made so many new friends with this group, my friendship is improving. I was so quiet when a first started and now am getting there am opening up more each day am there and that means everything to me.’

Cannon Hall Second Hand Bookshop

Thanks to our volunteers, Cannon Hall second-hand bookshop located in the walled garden was able to reopen.  Volunteers have organised books and tidied up the space making the bookshop welcoming again. Their enthusiasm and dedication were evidenced by numerous visits to various bookshops getting inspiration and snapping up good deals! The bookshop has raised over £600 in its first 2 months. They also created themed book art sculptures set for sale which have been popular. They take pride knowing they have created a welcoming space for book lovers. Visitors love browsing and finding hidden treasures.

Quote from volunteer Ken who has been involved with the bookshop set up (Friday 7 November 2025) “… The lady said that the bookshop was brilliant and probably better than the one she was involved with. On talking to her further it transpired that she was the Volunteer Coordinator from x. Now that’s quite a seal of approval.”

SEND Engagement

We worked closely with schools and charities that support young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) to take part in volunteering. They joined us for hands-on activities like gardening and site maintenance. They learned new skills and have become part of the team. We know volunteering can and should be for everyone and this targeted approach is helping us achieve this goal.

 ‘The experiences offered at the Mill are truly transformative. Our students have gained invaluable work experience, participated in meaningful volunteering, and benefited immensely from the experiential learning environment. These hands-on opportunities are crucial for their development and future prospects.’

‘Wow, I want to work here when I grow up. It’s beautiful!’

Training and Trips

2025 saw us expand our training for volunteers. The aim is to help volunteers build confidence in their roles and support ongoing learning; this also provides opportunities to connect with others.

In September, Cannon Hall volunteers visited Hardwick Hall to learn about their volunteering offers, visitor engagement and delivery of guided tours. It was a great experience and our volunteer, Margaret, reciprocated their kindness by offering a guided tour of Cannon Hall to one of the guides, who took us around Hardwick Hall. The visit led to few changes, adapted for the volunteering programme and increased volunteers’ motivation.

In-house collections training further enhanced volunteers’ knowledge in the ceramics and visual arts collections motivating them to develop their own creative approaches for visitor engagement. Additionally, we had Head of Visitor Experience from the National Trust delivering a workshop to our volunteers on visitor engagement enabling them to reassess and enhance their engagement techniques while gaining new perspectives on the Cannon Hall site. Collectively, these initiatives contribute to a progressive volunteering programme which meets volunteers’ ongoing needs.

Finally, we welcomed volunteer tour guide training and development for future plans and continued on our accessibility journey offering training from Accessibility UK to build confidence when interacting with visitors with wide range of needs and when working with each other.

 “I found the training very interesting and informative. Many thanks to Melissa. As a result, I feel much more confident in discussing the collection with visitors.”

 “To support my learning (and hopefully enhance visitor engagement), I am currently compiling a script for the paintings in each room, focusing particularly on their social-historical context. I am also considering creating a sub-catalogue arranged by artist to deepen my familiarity with the collection.

Numbers continue to grow

Volunteers gave over 15,000 hours of their time this year. That’s thousands of moments spent helping visitors, caring for sites, and sharing stories. Over 400 individuals contributed some amount of volunteering with us.

Our volunteers also serve as ambassadors for our museums, actively promoting and supporting the valuable work being delivered by our dedicated staff. Our diverse and supportive volunteering programme has benefited both the staff and volunteers.

Over 60 of volunteers attended our end of year celebration hosted at Cannon Hall, coming together to share their experiences and connect, all while having a cuppa and mince pie.

Behind the Scenes

Volunteers do so much every day. They pick up litter, repair benches, and keep our sites safe. They greet visitors with a smile, share stories, and collect feedback. These small acts make a big difference.

Some of our volunteers in person and online have been helping to transcribe archival materials making it accessible for future exhibitions and curators to undertake research work. They also gained a further understanding of the house and family history and as a result feel more connected to their volunteering roles.

During winter closure at Cannon Hall, volunteers assist with general gallery cleaning which helps with maintenance of the house and collections. They also gain further experience in curatorial work.

Volunteers took on the opportunity to decorate the Servants Hall and Victorian Kitchen at Cannon Hall for Christmas bringing smiles to children and adults. It has now become an annual tradition for the volunteers to get together and show off their creativity over this festive period.

Visitor engagement is never the same day to day. It ranges from visitors on coach trips to 67 school children on Takeover Day. Nevertheless, it never fazes the volunteers from engaging with everyone with a big smile.

“My highlights have been meeting new people and achieving my goals”

“I volunteer because it’s an opportunity to meet new people and to feel involved in supporting a local gem”

“Cannon Hall is small but wonderful. You feel like part of a big family volunteering here” Cannon Hall house volunteer, 2025.

Barnsley College

Our partnership with Barnsley College continues to flourish and coproduce. As part of Worsbrough Mill’s 400^th anniversary, graphic design students worked on a live brief, judged by a panel of local people, the winner became our official logo for all Worsbrough Mill 400 activity in 2025 including on commemorative mugs, a flag and all publicity. A second, third and fourth live brief is planned for photography, business management and health and social care students respectively.

We have worked with students from Wigfield Farm, who are getting hands on experiences in looking after green space and heritage approaches like coppicing and dead hedging and Travel and Tourism students got to experience the running of Elsecar Heritage Centre, undertake tours and engaging visitors.

The team also welcomed a student from the Business and Administration T-Level course working directly with the team supporting data input, admin tasks and shadowing projects and meetings.

Green Spaces and Outdoors

Barnsley Museums also has some incredible green spaces, and we would not be able to keep on top of their upkeep without the help of volunteers. Whether its raining or glorious sunshine, our volunteers always turn out, litter picking, planting, coppicing, clearance or hedge laying they have turned their hands to any tasks.

These spaces also give the perfect opportunity for teams to get involved and we welcomed 20 groups across our sites, using their employer supported volunteer time to help us and come together as a team in a new setting.

‘It’s a privilege and a pleasure to help maintain this beautiful country park with like minded friends.
Fresh air, Freedom and a sense of pride is my reward! Thank you, all staff and fellow volunteers who work so hard all year.’

Hear from our team in these videos

Thank You

To every volunteer – thank you. You make our heritage come alive. You help people learn, laugh, and feel welcome. Here’s to more amazing moments in 2026!

We also thank a wide range of funders who help make these activities happen, including but not limited to Barnsley Council, Barnsley Museums and Heritage Trust, Arts Council England and the National Lottery Heritage Fund.

The wider museums team have also gained valuable lessons and experience working with volunteers from all walks of life. Their presence and jokes bring smiles not just to visitors but staff as well creating a positive and enjoyable place to work at.

We appreciate the efforts of all volunteers, including those who’ve supported us previously and those who’ve paused their involvement. There is no small contribution, it is all valued.

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