2012 Yearbook

36 Y E A R B O O K 2 0 1 2 PETER AIERS THE CHURCHES CONSERVATION TRUST Volunteering has the power to transform projects from good ideas into reality. highlight our volunteers’ good work. 8F QBZ WPMVOUFFST FYQFOTFT BOE o"er training where necessary. Our WPMVOUFFS USBJOJOH JT CFJOH FYQBOEFE as we develop our volunteer base. We need volunteers all the time and have a wide variety of opportunities for them so we are developing our regional teams to ensure that we have sta" who are dedicated to volunteer recruitment, development and support. FUNDING We have been funded by a volunteer EFWFMPQNFOU QSPKFDU B UISFF ZFBS project which started in April 2008. It was funded by the Lankelly Chase Foundation, the Henry Smith $IBSJUZ UIF (PMETNJUIT $PNQBOZ UIF + 1BVM (FUUZ +OS $IBSJUBCMF 5SVTU and match funded by vInspired UIF OBUJPOBM ZPVUI WPMVOUFFSJOH DIBSJUZ 5IF QSPKFDU GVOEFE B GVMM UJNF WPMVOUFFS EFWFMPQNFOU PĐDFS BOE B QBSU UJNF SFHJPOBM development worker for three years. One of the requirements from vInspired was for the project to attract öøô ZPVOH WPMVOUFFST EVSJOH UIJT period. In fact we attracted ')* young volunteers and achieved ‘Reach’ status FYDFMMFODF JO WPMVOUFFSJOH Ȓ5IF NBUDI GVOEJOH FOEFE JO "QSJMȒöôõõ although funding from the J Paul (FUUZ +OS $IBSJUBCMF 5SVTU DPOUJOVFE until the end of the year. THE IMPACT OF VOLUNTEERS Volunteering has the power to transform projects from good ideas into reality. Take our project in All Souls, Bolton where several years ago a local man, Inayat Omarji, had a great idea to use this redundant DIVSDI BT B NPEFSO NVMUJ GVODUJPOBM community centre. Now over four years later, with the support of the CCT, a £4 million project is about to start. Neither the CCT nor Inayat could have done it alone. All Saints, Benington, Lincolnshire is another place where remarkable things have happened as a result of volunteers receiving support from the CCT. The volunteers here are transforming their local community infrastructure and saving a historic church. At the CCT we realise that our future can only be secured with the help of our volunteer base. We CFOFmU GSPN UIF TLJMMT BOE FYQFSJFODF of a wide range of people who give their time to ensure that historic churches are protected for the future. We are a reasonably small charity but our reach is vastly increased through the support we are given by our volunteers in terms of skills, fundraising and general advocacy. Peter Aiers (left) at an open day held by The Churches Conservation Trust and the Benington Community Heritage Trust at All Saints Church, Benington, Lincolnshire Peter Aiers is the director of the South East region and head of regeneration at The Churches Conservation Trust (CCT), the national charity that protects historic churches at risk. The trust has saved some 340 ecclesiastical buildings which attract almost 2 million visitors per year. Peter is responsible for the conservation BOE QSFTFOUBUJPO PG UIF $$5 T TJUFT JO UIF South East (around 130). These churches range from small, isolated rural churches UP UIPTF JO CVTZ VSCBO BSFBT 5IF USVTU T regional staff and volunteers ensure that CCT sites are open to the public, cared for and conserved. Peter is also responsible for running an annual repair programme and a range of projects aimed at income generation, tourism, conservation, skills training, learning and interpretation THE ROLE OF SKILLED VOLUNTEERS Skilled volunteers are essential to the CCT – without them we would struggle to function. We have several levels of volunteer from keyholders to interns to our DIBJSNBO -PZE (SPTTNBO TFF QBHF BOE BMM PG PVS USVTUFFT In our London o!ce and regionally we have volunteers assisting with human resources activities, JOUFSQSFUBUJPO QSPKFDUT BOE ZPVUI led projects. We have conservation volunteers who help with physical work such as limewashing, and others who meet and greet visitors to help them make the most of their visit. Volunteers are recruited either locally or via contact with the CCT from universities or through advertising on volunteering websites. SUPPORTING VOLUNTEERS We support our volunteers by assessing what they want to achieve with the CCT. Recently recruited volunteers have a volunteer agreement, signed by both the volunteer and the CCT. It sets out what we will do for the volunteer and what they wish to do for us. Volunteers usually have an idea about what they would like to do and we try to find out more about them so that we can keep them interested and stimulated. We also run a volunteer of the year award to