Visitor Welcome Volunteer
THE ARKWRIGHT SOCIETY LIMITED
Cromford Mills
Part-time
Volunteer Role Description Visitor Welcome Volunteer Be the friendly face of Cromford Mills – help bring history to life while making a real difference to local families and visitors. What is a Visitor Welcome Volunteer? This is a sociable and varied volunteer role at Cromford Mills, perfect for someone who loves people and hands-on experiences. You’ll welcome visitors warmly, help them navigate the site, operate our popular Arkwright Experience (a 15-minute immersive video tour shown three times daily), and support our growing programme of family crafts, trails and games. This summer we’re offering free and low-cost activities for our local community, particularly families with children, and we need volunteers who are friendly, proactive and care about making the site welcoming and accessible to everyone. Whether you're interested in a future in heritage, tourism, education or events, or simply love our local area or Cromford Mills, this is a great opportunity to build confidence, develop skills, and make a positive impact. Why we want you We’re looking for enthusiastic, community-minded volunteers to support our visitor experience. You’ll help every visitor feel welcomed and informed, from arrival to departure, and play an active role in making sure visitors and families have fun, learn something new, and feel part of this historic place. This is a great fit for someone who: • Enjoys chatting with people of all ages and backgrounds • Cares about supporting local community, families and children • Loves practical tasks like setting up crafts or games • Wants experience in a friendly heritage setting • Feels confident helping visitors find their way or make the most of their day What will you be doing? Visitor Welcome & Orientation • Provide a warm, friendly welcome to all visitors • Help visitors understand what’s on offer – including handing out leaflets, directing people to tours, exhibitions and family activities • Operate some of the showings of the Arkwright Experience video tour (shown three times daily – full training provided) • Support visitors in planning their time, signposting key areas of the site • Promote tours, trails and Arkwright Society membership • Keep an eye on public areas like the mill yard and assist with wayfinding • Be a helpful presence in the Visitor Centre or Mill Shop as needed Family Engagement Support • Support our lovely Learning Team in setting up and oversee craft tables, trails or games, during school holidays • Help families feel confident taking part in activities – explain what’s on and how it works • Encourage children’s creativity and curiosity • Tidy and reset spaces between groups to keep things clean and welcoming • Offer a reassuring and enthusiastic presence, helping families feel at ease • Provide informal interpretation to help visitors understand the history of the site in an accessible, friendly way What kind of person are you? • Friendly, welcoming and approachable • Comfortable engaging with visitors of all ages • Willing to learn about Cromford Mills and its place in the story of our area and able to direct visitors to other sources of information. • Proactive and confident using your initiative when things are busy • Reliable and happy to help wherever needed – from crafts to directions • Supportive of other volunteers and staff, and a real team player You don’t need any prior history knowledge or heritage experience! Just a willingness to get involved and share ideas. What are the benefits of this role? • Make a real difference to the experience of local families and day-trippers alike • Help us support our community and preserve our Grade I listed World Heritage Site • Gain hands-on heritage and visitor engagement experience. Great for your CV if you’re interested in heritage, education, tourism or events. • Build confidence in talking to the public, experience in teamwork and front facing communication. • Be part of a large social volunteer team • Discounts in the Mill Shop and Arkwright Society cafes • Travel expenses. • Lunch voucher for full-day shifts • Relevant training and mentorship. How much time will you need to give? Ideally at least once every 2 weeks to keep your knowledge fresh and feel involved. • • Our busiest times for this role are school holidays, when family activities run Monday to Friday. • But we also have events on the weekend throughout the year. • We’re flexible! Mornings, afternoons or full days are available Location Cromford Mills part of the Derwent Valley Mills UNESCO World Heritage Site Mill Lane, Cromford, Derbyshire. DE4 3RQ www.cromfordmills.org.uk Staff Contact Kate Crossley, Head of Engagement and Jo Taylor, Volunteer Co-ordinator We will be your go-to for support, training and planning your volunteer experience. If you aren’t sure but want to find out more please get in touch! We are very flexible and happy to hear from you. kcrossley@arkwrightsociety.org.uk jtaylor@arkwrightsociety.org.uk Tel: 01629 823256 Training & Support You’ll receive: • A full site induction • Training in the Arkwright Experience video and visitor engagement • Close working with the Learning and Visitor Experience staff team to support you. • Training on our site and where to send visitors with questions or to find historical information. • Ongoing mentoring and team check-ins Expenses • Travel expenses covered for your volunteering days • Lunch voucher if you come for the full day • Free car parking • Discount card for use in the Mill Shop and cafés About Cromford Mills Built in 1771 by Sir Richard Arkwright, Cromford Mills was the world’s first successful water- powered cotton spinning mill and helped spark the Industrial Revolution. The site is now part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Today, it’s a vibrant heritage hub with shops, cafés, a Visitor Centre, educational programmes and family events. We welcome over 70 schools annually, hold free and low-cost family activities in holidays as well as big fun events like Comicon, the Beer Festival and our annual Dog Show. We are passionate about being open, inclusive, and supportive of our local community, as well as sharing our amazing historic place. About the Arkwright Society The Arkwright Society is a registered charity (515526) focused on education, conservation and community. Since 1971, we’ve worked to preserve, regenerate and share this incredible site with visitors, schools and local residents. This is a voluntary role not a contract or offer of employment.