National Volunteers Week – Salisbury Cathedral

Today we’re highlighting three long-serving volunteers at Salisbury Cathedral.

Meet volunteers Dudley, Rodney and Ben

Dudley Heather has been volunteering with Salisbury Cathedral for 21 years. In this time, Dudley has been head guide, from 2005 – 2011, and now volunteers as one of our Team Leader guides.

Working with the Education team, Dudley has taken on the role of playing King John in historical presentations and helps manage our volunteer database. When asked about his favourite part of volunteering, Dudley cites helping visitors learn more about the Cathedral’s history and seeing them appreciate our Cathedral even more.

Rodney has been a volunteer with Salisbury Cathedral since 1979.

In his 45 years of volunteering, Rodney has volunteered in lots of different capacities! He has led tours of our Works Yard and used to guide Tower Tours.

Currently, Rodney is still volunteering in lots of ways. On Saturdays, he reads the lesson and administers the chalice at Morning Worship. On Saturday afternoons, Rodney is a guide and on Wednesdays, he works in our shop. Talking about his volunteering experience, Rodney says that it is a privilege to volunteer at Salisbury Cathedral.

Last but least is Ben Elliott, a volunteer who has been with us for a remarkable 58 years.

Ben started visiting Salisbury Cathedral in 1966 as the Vicar of Bradshaw. In the 1970s, the Cathedral was very different, as Ben describes, ‘there was no restaurant and we brought our own sandwiches … There was no shop, but a stall just east of the door leading to the Parvis Room selling postcards, guides and odds and ends’.

The Parvis Room was a small and interesting room used by our Works Yard Team.

Times have certainly changed since then and our Cathedral now has a shop and restaurant. Ben is still volunteering at our Cathedral as a guide on Mondays.

Ben pictured here with other volunteers at Salisbury Cathedral

Photo credit – Ash Mills