Become a Volunteer
Have you ever thought about becoming a volunteer? It's a great way to make new friends and help the Railway. Whether you are looking for something to do at the Weekends, in retirement, or as a stepping stone to your first career, we have the role for you! Here's a glimpse of what you could do.
Train Crew
Drivers, firemen and guards. Those who know the job are welcome, and we have a training programme for those who want to learn from scratch.
Permanent Way Team.
The vital task of maintaining the Railway and laying new track. Ideal for those who enjoy being out of doors. Not as physical as it once was - we have mechanical assistance these days!
Cafe and Retail
Catering is increasingly important, as is working in the shop. The Railway always needs people who like working with people. Our aim is to give visitors a warm welcome to the railway, so if you have skills in this area, we'd love to have you in the team.
Gardening and Site Maintenance
Then there is gardening, hedge-trimming and general site maintenance, and helping out at special events
Building & Maintenance.
This area uses the general range of construction and carpentry skills many of us have learned on our own homes.
Carriage & Wagon Dept.
Needs skilled people and people who would like to help and learn. The chance to help restore anything from a vintage coach to a goods wagon.
Signalling & Telegraph
The intention is for the Railway to be fully signalled. This calls for a wide range of skills and abilities. Basic engineering knowledge, carpentry, or just being interested enough to help are all welcome
Engineering & Electrical
People with experience are needed on an ongoing basis. All areas of the Railway require these skills - be assured of your welcome!
This is not an exhaustive list, but it should give you some idea of where you might fit in. People with Administrative, Financial, Advertising and Business skills are also welcome.
If you would like to help, just contact the Volunteer Coordinator (email link below), or visit the site at a weekend. You will be most welcome!
To become a volunteer you must be a member of the S&CR
Volunteering if you have a disability
A volunteer is never turned away owing to disability and we will work with you to determine whether a suitable position can be found for you. However, whilst we will do our utmost to find a suitable volunteer role for you, the railway is a dangerous place, and it may not always be possible to find a safe role for prospective volunteers. Please also be aware you must be aged 18 or over.
Many of the volunteer roles at the railway are safety critical. This means that, where an individual’s ability to undertake a task is compromised by a disability, it may result in a significant risk to the health and safety of the individual and of others. We have a duty of care to you, and to all our volunteers and visitors, so you must disclose any disability when applying to be a volunteer (this can best be done on the ‘Health Questionnaire’ you will be sent when you become a member).
If you need a carer or support worker, you must provide your own nominated carer/support worker, who must also become a member and volunteer, and must attend and work alongside you whenever you volunteer at the railway. We regret that the S&CR is not able to provide a carer/support worker for you.
The S&CR is a heritage railway and so, unfortunately, much of the site is not accessible for wheelchair users.
Whether or not you have a disability, there are many departments/teams that require volunteers so we will try to accommodate you where your skills/abilities can best be utilised. If you are a wheelchair user, we may be able to find a suitable volunteer role for you if your skills can be used in accessible areas or in an administrative role that you can do from home.