VIDEO: North York Moors Railway launches major volunteering campaign

A registered charity, the NYMR requires between 300 and 500 hours of volunteer support every day to bring its story to life.

The heritage railway offers a broad range of volunteer opportunities - from working on the locomotive footplate to signalling and telecommunications, lineside conservation, customer service, retail, catering, fundraising and education.

Volunteers play such an important role at the NYMR that a new role, Head of Volunteer Development, was created in 2020 thanks to the funding received by the Heritage Lottery Fund.

This role was specifically designed with longevity in mind as part of the £10m Yorkshire's Magnificent Journey project, helping the NYMR to focus on new ways to engage potential volunteers and to create new volunteer roles within the railway.

Marcus Aldrich, Head of Volunteer Development for the NYMR, said: “It’s not just about what you give to us - we want to give back to you and make sure you have a meaningful and rewarding time in our unique environment.

"If you’re a young person and you are looking for work experience, it’s perfect - relevant work experience can enhance CVs and support university applications.

“Volunteering is a fun and enjoyable experience where you can learn new things and meet new people.

"You can make a real difference volunteering on the NYMR, preserving the railway and educating our visitors by bringing this visitor attraction alive.

"There are about 30 different roles involved with running our heritage railway - we’re an education, preservation and conservation charity and it’s our people that bring it to life.

"From volunteering in the shed at the Motive Power Depot (MPD) maintaining the locomotives or conserving 18 miles of lineside - you‘re delivering a fulfilling experience for all those who engage with us.”

Join one of the most popular heritage railways in the UK and an accredited museum, helping to deliver the aims of the Charitable Trust, providing education for all ages.

Visit Nymr.co.uk/volunteer to apply to be a volunteer.