Courtesy Hadrian's Wall Ltd.
Hadrian’s Wall Heritage Ltd is launching a new programme of ‘Volunteer Heritage Guides’ in Hadrian’s Wall Country thanks to a grant of £49,000 from the Heritage Lottery Fund’s ‘Your Heritage’ grant scheme.
The two-year project will recruit and train local people to become Tour Guides at a selection of key Roman attraction sites along the Wall, to bring the sites to life and enhance the visitor experience.
Organisations along the Hadrian’s Wall corridor involved in the project include Roman Vindolanda near Bardon Mill in Northumberland and The Roman Army Museum near Greenhead in Cumbria.
Courtesy Hadrian's Wall Ltd.
Recruitment is planned for this winter, with the training programme starting in spring 2009. It is hoped the new tours will begin in summer 2009 and continue into 2010.
Kerry Shaw, Volunteer Co-ordinator for Hadrian’s Wall Heritage Ltd, will be driving the ‘Hadrian’s Frontier-Volunteer Heritage Guides’ project forward.
She said: “We believe this new scheme will allow more people to become involved at their local Roman attraction sites, whilst gaining some valuable skills in tourist guiding and learning more about the fantastic heritage on their doorstep.
“Many people get a lot of satisfaction and enjoyment from volunteering and so we are expecting a lot of interest in these new roles.”
Courtesy Hadrian's Wall Ltd.
Training will include ‘How to be a tour guide’ tuition, which will be accredited by the Institute of Tourist Guiding (ITG), first aid training and sessions on the Roman and non-Roman stories to be told at each site.
For more information about the ‘Hadrian’s Frontier-Volunteer Heritage Guides’ project, contact Kerry Shaw, Volunteer Co-ordinator, at Hadrian’s Wall Heritage Ltd on 01434-609700 or email kerry.shaw@hadrianswallheritage.co.uk for more details.
Hadrian’s Wall Heritage Ltd was set up in May 2006 in partnership with One NorthEast (One), the Northwest Regional Development Agency (NWDA), Natural England and English Heritage. For more information see www.hadrians-wall.org.
