HERITAGE VOLUNTEERS
More than 3,500 people are involved in hundreds of projects nationwide, through The Arts Society. They help conserve our heritage for future generations by stewarding, cataloguing, conserving books, textiles, armour and weaponry in historic houses, libraries, museums and gardens.
Here in the Chiltern Hills Area, we have a number of Societies with a Heritage Volunteering section although not all of them have active projects at present; finding a suitable project locally can be a problem. However, from time to time we are notified of something which might be of interest to a group. This happened recently in the Marlow society when they were approached to help with the cataloguing and storage of artefacts in their local museum.
Before starting on any project Arts Society members are given training, sometimes in special courses, so absolute beginners can be involved from the start.
We have a wealth of talent among The Arts Society members and we are always delighted to hear of any likely projects , whether you are an Arts Society Member yourself, or whether you can identify a project which is in line with our aims. You can contact our Area Representative for Heritage Volunteering by email …..
Heritage Volunteering in Chiltern Hills Societies: Past and Present Projects
- Ballinger - Guiding at Chenies Manor and book conservation in Oxford Colleges
- Chalfont - Guiding at Chenies Manor and stewarding at Milton's Cottage, Chalfont St Giles
- Chiltern - Textile conservation at Hughenden Manor, book dusting at Windsor Castle, document conservation at St Mary's Library, Langley, textile conservation, Penn House, packing uniforms at the Household Cavalry Museum, Windsor, picture cleaning at Eton College, archiving at Dorney Court and working in Chequers attic.
- Henley - Working on the Fraser Nash Archives. Preparing original drawings and blue prints for scanning and their eventual availability online.
- Marlow - Archiving project for Marlow Museum. Recording, registering and storing around 250 artifacts.
- West Wycombe - Archiving at County Hall, Aylesbury.
- Windsor & Maidenhead Evening - Book cleaning at the Royal Library, Windsor Castle
Chiltern Hills Area Heritage Volunteering Representative: Sue Gilbert at suegilbert.artssociety@gmail.com or 01494 670687
ARTS VOLUNTEERING
Set up in 1983, Young Arts provided exciting opportunities for children and young people to get involved in creative arts activities. However in 2020 it was decided to move away from the more traditional model of working mainly with schools and widen both the age and scope of opportunities offered. All ages and community groups would now be able to benefit from arts projects. Societies now work with schools, museums, local charities and community groups. Since the isolation of the pandemic it has become evident that access to arts activities is important throughout the community.
Arts Volunteering projects are planned to respond to local needs and can include: Artists in residence in schools or care homes; Funding art lectures for students at university; Equipment purchases; Workshops; Funding for gallery or museum visits; Setting up art exhibitions; Bursaries/awards for individual students
Within the Chiltern Hills Area our societies are actively involved with Arts Volunteering projects and during the pandemic, when physical contact was impossible, societies funded and compiled art packs for schools, charities and hospitals.
This list of projects demonstrates the variety of successful work recently carried out in the Chiltern Hills Area:
Chalfont Donation for a drawing class and kiln to Stony Dene Special Needs School.
Gerrards Cross Donations to Young Carers
Project decorating cardboard Easter hampers and Easter egg h
Musical event with young singers.
Henley Entries for the RBA Star Student competition.
Award for graduate ambition in the Department of Art at Reading University.
Awards for art materials or activities to a variety of schools and colleges.
High Wycombe Donations for art materials.
Maidenhead Bursary.
Vale of Aylesbury Workshop as part of Deafblind Awareness Week 2022.
West Wycombe Project to design a stained glass window for a school.
Chiltern Hills Area Arts Volunteering Co-ordinator Eileen Gerrard at eileenigerrard@gmail.com or 01494 488322
For further information about Trails of Discovery please visit: https://theartssociety.org/search/category/trails-of-discovery