The function of National Trust Volunteer Groups, as we see it, is to provide practical help for NT wardens, gardeners and other staff. Our role is to carry out a job that wouldn't get done by a single person or to free up staff to do more skilled work. We get involved with digging, fencing, clearing, planting etc. - work where a large number of willing hands are able to make a significant contribution in a single day. However, we do carry out more skilled work, such as dry-stone walling, and the skills that we have picked up over the years are always being put to good use.
Our property visits are known as "tasks" and we normally arrange one for every other Sunday throughout the year. With our current membership of about 60, we can expect an average of about 14 people on each task. The majority of the members of the West Yorkshire NTV Group live in and around the Leeds area. We are therefore regular visitors to East Riddlesden Hall, Brimham Rocks, Beningbrough Hall, Hardcastle Crags and the Yorkshire Dales (see our map).
A hidden waterfall at Cragside.
One interesting aspect is being able to see behind the scenes at the various properties and to understand how our task fits into the wider picture. It has been rewarding to see long term projects come to fruition and to witness the development of properties since the WYNTV was formed in 1983.
Occasional visits are made to other properties and we even have weekend trips to properties further afield, e.g. each November we visit Cragside in Northumberland, and in March or April we enjoy a weekend in beautiful Borrowdale in the Lake District.
The social aspect is an important part of any group. We have a programme of social events, a key theme of which is eating! Our pièce de résistance is the Pudding Evening, where members bring their favourite puddings for tasting (usually over 10 puddings). We then vote on the best for the evening. It is quite a skill to pace yourself and it is amazing how the most muscular of Sunday volunteers will fall at the hurdle of the Pudding Evening: all skills are catered for in this group!
If you would like to volunteer for the Trust, would like to see behind the scenes at Trust properties, enjoy outdoor work and exercise, and can eat 10 puddings in one sitting, then come and join the WYNTV.