Volunteers get involved in all types of projects – from digging at archaeological sites and running events, to sharing their skills as trustees.

But it’s not just the heritage projects that benefit from the volunteering experience. Miranda Stearn, Policy Adviser, Learning and Volunteering, talked to some of our projects to find out more about the impact of volunteering on people and communities.

Volunteers make a huge contribution towards looking after the UK’s heritage. They also do a fantastic job of sharing it with others – by monitoring wildlife, giving tours, carrying out practical conservation tasks to buildings or landscapes and a host of other activities that mean that our rich heritage is better managed and understood.

As well as providing invaluable support to heritage projects, we know that volunteers get a lot out of their experiences personally. They develop skills and confidence, make friends and can even improve their health and wellbeing. In fact, our research shows that volunteers consistently reported improved wellbeing after becoming involved in heritage projects. They felt more capable of making decisions, happier, more able to enjoy day-to-day activities, better able to concentrate and – especially – had a greater sense of having a useful part to play.

This idea of greater wellbeing really shone through when I listened to the experiences of some of the heritage volunteers involved with HLF-funded projects. Almost all of the projects we support include some volunteering activity, and one of the joys of working at HLF is getting to find out more about some of the amazing things they do. Here are just a few of the projects I’ve got to know during my time with HLF.

Growing Together at Strawberry Hill

Jack’s contribution towards the upkeep of the gardens of Strawberry Hill House in London, won him recognition in the 2014 London Volunteers in Museums Awards. He began garden volunteering as part of the Growing Together project, which was designed to create a community garden. Jack and his carers started volunteering for the project in 2013 and regularly helped out at weekly gardening sessions.

Jack describes the difference volunteering has made for him: “Strawberry Hill welcomed me and I’ve completed many exciting tasks, helping in the house and amazing grounds with the incredibly supportive staff. I feel I have learnt a lot here and feel more confident in my gardening skills and moving on to future jobs.”

Christine is another regular community gardener at Strawberry Hill. She was asked to reflect on what she enjoys about volunteering: “It is always a pleasure to arrive. I like the way you motivate volunteers like myself to come and spend time, which we feel is well worthwhile.”

The flexibility of time commitment and the opportunities to get involved in a variety of activities make the volunteering at Strawberry Hill special. The weekly drop-in sessions have enabled volunteers to stay involved with the project throughout and continue to fit it in around their lives. The programme links closely with the adult learning activities that also take place on-site. This offers opportunities for people taking part in short courses to stay connected with Strawberry Hill and develop their skills through volunteering.

Jack’s volunteering work meant that he had the confidence to enrol on a ‘preparing for work’ course with The Prince’s Trust, where he completed a formal work experience placement as part of the Strawberry Hill team. He continues to volunteer in the gardens.

If: Volunteering for Wellbeing

Jackie volunteers as part of If: Volunteering for Wellbeing, a three-year project running at IWM North, Manchester Museum, Museum of Science & Industry and in partnership with other cultural venues in the city.

The project aims to measure the impact of volunteering in the heritage sector, with the project team exploring how it can combat social and economic isolation and improve wellbeing. Volunteers like Jackie attend a bespoke training course, which includes an immersive volunteering experience in a museum. Jackie now volunteers at Ordsall Hall in Salford and believes that volunteering has quite literally changed her life.

She told us: “When I was online searching for something that would give me a purpose, courage, strength, confidence, fun, knowledge, friendships, never did I really think I would find something that would tick those boxes.

“This course has turned my dark days into something to look forward too, all the rejections I had for jobs… have started to loosen their hold on me.

“I’ve never smiled so much, not in a long time. This course has given me everything it said it would, improved health, new skills, wellbeing and experience.”

Volunteering for everyone

I’ve chosen these projects, partly for the compelling glimpse they offer of the personal impacts of volunteering, but also as examples of the ways in which heritage projects work with a broad spectrum of volunteers.

Unfortunately though, having a diverse range of volunteers involved in a project is often not the case. Our research shows that the majority of volunteers on HLF projects are relatively older and exceptionally well educated. They are also usually people who are already familiar with heritage sites.

Given what we know about the positive benefits of volunteering, we want Lottery players’ money to bring those benefits to as wide a range of people as possible. Our research tells us that where projects do engage those beyond the ‘typical’ heritage volunteer, the individual impacts are all the greater. This provides powerful motivation for all of us in the sector to keep challenging ourselves, not only to create interesting volunteering opportunities, but to make sure they are also genuinely inclusive.