VOLUNTEERS are being recruited to help teach youngsters the ‘history, heritage, and social context’ of the West Somerset Railway (WSR).
The WSR, England’s longest steam railway with 20 miles of track running from Minehead to Bishops Lydeard, will open its 2025 season of trains on March 22.
The 2025 programme will include engagement with the national Rail 200 celebrations, marking this year’s bicentennial of modern railways, and a number of events being put on by the West Somerset Railway Heritage Trust (WSRHT).
The trust, a registered charity, is the WSR’s principal provider of education, learning, and community outreach activities and resources.
It is planning some ‘exciting and innovative events’ providing opportunities for primary schools, community groups, and families with young children to learn more about the railway’s background.
But to do so, it needs new volunteers to join its education and learning team as learning assistants to help deliver the programme.
WSRHT education and learning officer Helen Anson is looking for people who are comfortable and interested in working with children and groups and have good communication and interpersonal skills.
They will also need to be able to adapt facilitation and engagement styles according to the needs of the different sessions and topics.
Anybody who is interested in becoming one of the new volunteers should email Ms Anson at [email protected].
Application forms and a role profile can be obtained from the trust’s safeguarding and people lead John Robinson by emailing [email protected] or calling 01823 257448.
The deadline for applying to join the education and learning volunteer team is March 31.
- The trust has also paid tribute to former trustee and company secretary David Baker, who died recently, and who had also served the railway as catering manager, commercial director, vice-chairman, and acting chairman, and curator of Blue Anchor Railway Museum.