Kings and Scribes Exhibition Steward

Winchester Cathedral has been at the heart of a vibrant community for nearly 1000 years. Today, the Cathedral welcomes more than 300,000 visitors and pilgrims each year. They come to share in our daily worship and hear our world-class choir, to enjoy the wonderful setting, stunning architecture, priceless treasures and to attend our extensive programme of events.

The Cathedral holds a special place in our nation’s history and is renowned for the breathtaking architecture and beauty which attracts visitors and pilgrims from around the world.

Winchester Cathedral is called to renew, inspire and unite people in faith, hope and love. We live by our values of Openness, Excellence and Kindness in all that we do.

We are committed to providing a welcoming, respectful and safe environment for all, including children and adults who may be at risk of abuse and neglect. The care and protection of children, young people and adults involved in Cathedral activities is the responsibility of everyone who participates in the life of the Cathedral Community.

We expect all volunteers to share this commitment and follow safer recruitment policies and procedures.

All successful applicants will be subject to checks, including satisfactory references and undertaking DBS checks where appropriate and Safeguarding training relevant to the role.

Exhibition Steward:

Our Kings and Scribes Exhibition Stewards act as hosts and facilitators for visitors coming to the Kings and Scribes exhibition, encouraging individuals to discover and learn from the exhibits in a way that suits their needs. The exhibition shares the rich story of the Cathedral’s history through dynamic displays, beautiful graphics and interactive exhibits. Exhibition Stewards play a central role in ensuring an excellent visitor experience for everyone who comes to the exhibition.

Safeguarding Training Minimum Requirement: Basic (C0).

Activities you will be involved in will include:

• Warmly welcoming visitors, highlighting to them the different aspects of the exhibition and encouraging them to explore all exhibition spaces.
• Engaging and talking with visitors of all ages, including children in a way which makes them feel welcome and suits their needs.
• Encouraging visitors to engage with, discover and learn for themselves from exhibits.
• Encouraging visitors to use the interactive displays within the exhibition and helping anyone who needs extra support to operate them.
• Supporting visitors in making decisions about where they go in the exhibition and managing the flow of visitors at busier times.
• Answering any questions visitors have or referring them to other sources of information if needed.
• Supporting people with specific access requirements to have an enjoyable and positive experience in the exhibition.
• Treating each visitor as an individual with particular needs and interests.
• Providing visitors with accurate information on daily activities.
• Ensuring exhibition areas are clean and tidy and notifying the Duty Manager or Virger of any issues particularly if any aspects of the exhibition aren’t working.
• Handing out Story Maps and signposting other places and activities in the Cathedral that visitors can take part in during their visit if they show an interest in discovering more.

What we can offer you:

• Training and support to carry out your volunteer role confidently and competently, which reflects how the Cathedral values you and your commitment.
• A friendly team led by Day Coordinator, a Section Head and supported by the Volunteer Coordinator.
• The chance to meet new people and belong to a caring community.
• The opportunity to develop new skills and knowledge and contribute to the life of the Cathedral.

Skills

We are looking for people who are:

• Friendly, flexible and approachable, who enjoy engaging with others and working as part of a team.
• Comfortable communicating with a wide range of people.
• Interested in helping visitors discover for themselves and who have an interest in encouraging public engagement with exhibition displays.
• Willing to work flexibly across the exhibition spaces.
• Interested in finding out more about the history of Winchester Cathedral so that they can share it with visitors who want more information.
• Able to take part in shifts which may include standing for significant amounts of time.
• Comfortable with using a radio.
• Positive, enthusiastic and confident.
• Willing to help evacuate visitors from the exhibition in the event of an emergency.
• Open-minded, with the ability to welcome everyone to the Cathedral.
• Punctual and reliable.
• Supportive of Cathedral Vision and Mission.
• Committed to ensuring the Cathedral’s policies and procedures are understood and applied consistently.
• Actively supportive of the Cathedral’s commitment to safeguarding and willing to undergo the necessary checks and training.

The support and time you give to the Cathedral and its visitors is really important and will set the tone for how they experience the Cathedral. We want everyone, including you as a volunteer, to have a worthwhile and rewarding experience.

To ensure that we can provide the best experience to both visitors and volunteers we ask that all volunteers:

• Attend induction training, additional training and development opportunities, as deemed necessary to effectively fulfil the Exhibition Steward role.
• Complete Basic (C0) Safeguarding training before commencing in role.
• Spend time familiarising themselves with the Kings and Scribes Exhibition content and spaces.
• Meet mutually agreed time commitments, giving reasonable notice of absence to the Day Coordinator so that alternative arrangements can be made.
• Dress appropriately for their role.