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Vacancies
TRUSTEES
Two vacancies – Treasurer AND Secretary
We seeking to appoint two new Trustees, one to serve as the Treasurer and one to serve as the Secretary, on both the Epworth Old Rectory Trust and its Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO), the latter being the operational arm of governance.
The key role of the trustees is to manage the affairs of Epworth Old Rectory, in particular developing its strategy and vision and overseeing the property, finances and staffing. The Trust is made up of an equal number of trustees drawn from the British Methodist Church and the World Methodist Council. It meets twice a year.
The CIO supports and contributes to the development of the life of the Rectory as a museum and place of pilgrimage. The CIO Directors, including the Treasurer and Secretary, support the operations of the museum and work closely with the Trust.
In order to give time to work alongside the current Treasurer and Secretary, whose terms of office will come to an end in 2026, we are seeking to appoint a new Treasurer AND a new Secretary as soon as possible.
Treasurer – this is a key role for a suitably qualified person, with experience of financial management, daily bookkeeping and preparation of annual accounts.
Secretary – this role is vital to support the smooth running of both Trust and CIO administratively.
Full details, including role descriptions and background document, can be found by clicking the links in the text above
These are voluntary roles, with expectation of attending seven meetings per year (four in person, three online) and other work being carried out on a weekly basis from home. Trustees are appointed annually by the British Methodist Conference and may serve for a term of up to six years.
Expressions of interest with an outline of relevant experience should be sent to the Chair of Trustees, Sarah Friswell, on sarah.friswell@btinternet.com
VOLUNTEERING
The work of Epworth Old Rectory could never be done without its large team of volunteers. Both in public facing roles and behind-the-scenes our volunteers work to ensure all visitors have an enjoyable experience.
If you are interested in volunteering please complete the Volunteering Expression of Interest Form below or contact Ami Wagner at vcm@epwortholdrectory.org.uk
Once we have received this we will be in contact with you to discuss your interest in volunteering further.
Tour Guiding
All visitors receive a guided tour of the house from a tour guide. If you have an interest in history and are a confident public speaker then you would enjoy being one of our tour guides. You will take visitors around the house, telling them the story of the Wesley family and Methodism. Tours take an hour. When you begin volunteering you will receive training by going on tours of the house with a number of guides. You will also receive a Volunteers Handbook and Guides’ Notes filled with the key information you need to tell the Rectory’s story.
Once you feel confident you can begin taking tours yourself. We need guides for both casual visitors and booked groups. For the former you can agree a regular morning or afternoon slot, Tuesday to Saturday with our administrator. For pre-booked groups you will be asked to come at a specific time on the day of the visit and will work with other guides to ensure the smooth running of the tour.
Stewarding
We also offer self-guided tours and therefore we welcome volunteers who would like to be on hand to answer questions from our visitors but perhaps feel less confident about delivering a full tour. In this role you might like to concentrate on learning about a certain room or object that you can tell our visitors about. Again you will receive full training in this role and lots pof support from fellow volunteers
Living History
Our costumed volunteers offer enhanced visits for our guests which could include showcasing a traditional craft, period gardening, playing games, cooking or making traditional food or drink or anything else that you are particularly interested in that dates from the 18th and 19th centuries. We welcome ideas from our team of Living History Volunteers to add to our annual programmes and have regular slots in school holidays when our costumed team make an appearance as well as helping with specific events throughout the year.
Shop and Reception
Volunteers in this area are the first point of contact when visitors arrive. You will offer a warm welcome in the shop and explain the format of the tour and admission prices. Your will take the admission payment, and introduce them to their tour guide if they have booked a tour. Shop sales will also be part of your role and you can help visitors find souvenirs and gifts for friends and family. We also have an online shop so you can also point our visitors in that direction using our literature
Sales and Reception volunteers will receive training from experienced volunteers. Once you feel confident you can agree a regular slot on our rota (morning or afternoon, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday or Saturday) with Ami. At times you may also be asked whether you can fill in when other volunteers are unavailable for their usual slot.
Gardens
If you have an interest in gardens and gardening then you can join our gardener in helping to maintain the Old Rectory’s grounds. There are a number of sections to our gardens, including the Physick Garden, based on John Wesley’s book Primitive Physic. There is also an orchard, and a memory Garden made up of raised beds. The main lawn is the perfect place for visitors to enjoy picnics. You can also help care for the Old Rectory’s vegetable plot.
Catering
We have a team of volunteers who organise the catering for pre-booked groups. To provide this service we liaise with Wesley Memorial Methodist Church and you will serve meals to visitors either in the Old Rectory’s Refectory, or at Wesley Memorial. Catering may also be required during special events.
Care of Collections
We have a retinue of volunteers who help to care for the items we hold in our collections. As part of this team you will help to accession new items that enter our collections and store them correctly. We also use the professional museums computer programme Modes to catalogue our items. Our collections team also help to put exhibitions in place and take them down at the end of season. Volunteering in this behind-the-scenes role is as vital to the life of our museum as our front-of-house roles.
Maintenance
If you have a knack for practical work then you can help with the maintenance of the Old Rectory working with our Building Supervisor, Bill. Historic buildings require a lot of love, care and attention and you can help us by painting, DIY and general care of the building.
Walk with Wesley
If you have an interest in the history of Epworth as a whole you can become one of our Walk with Wesley guides, showing pre-booked visitors key sites, including St Andrew’s and Wesley Memorial. These walks take between an hour and an hour and a half.
Events Planning and Events Assistance
During special events we will need help to put up and take down items such as gazebos and tables, taking money at the gate and ensuring visitor safety. We publish over events programme at the start of the season so you can see exactly when we might need your help.
