Navigation

Welcome Course begins for Sheffield Cathedral Volunteers

The Friends of Sheffield Cathedral have received Heritage Lottery Funding to enhance the welcome given to visitors to the Cathedral.

Between February and early April the Cathedral’s Guides and Welcomers will meet each Monday morning in the Chapter House of the Cathedral. A trained facilitator will lead practical workshops and encourage group discussion about the frequently encountered issues and challenges that face the volunteers when showing visitors around the Cathedral.

The Cathedral welcomes thousands of visitors a year and is delighted to be able to use this funding to provide a series of specialist workshops for the team of volunteer Guide Welcomers, with the aim of building on the existing knowledge, skills and experience that these volunteers bring to the role.

Gill MacGregor, Volunteer Visitor Welcome Coordinator, said, “ Each welcome session is different for Guide Welcomers. They have to be ready to answer any question from visitors or know where they can find an answer. Some people want to know about the history and heritage of the cathedral. Others are exploring the Christian spirituality of this place and its relation to other faiths. These workshops will really help volunteers to work with visitors so that they have an enjoyable visit.”

Visitors to the Cathedral come for many different reasons, some simply looking for a space to pray, others to find out more about the heritage and history of the Cathedral, to hear the stories of great men and women, of wars, of industry and commerce, and of the people of Sheffield who have worshipped here for over a thousand years.

The Heritage Lottery Funding will ensure that the team of volunteer Guides and Welcomers is fully equipped to meet the needs and challenges of all who come to discover the rich history and diverse architecture of Sheffield Cathedral.

Sheffield Cathedral is a ‘place for all people’ and is open every day of the year.