News Story
Volunteers’ Week, 1-7 June 2026
This annual event across the country is a great opportunity for us to celebrate and thank all our wonderful volunteers across the Maltings and Museum. We are truly grateful for everything that our team of 120 volunteers do - from our fantastic team of event stewards to all our other incredible volunteers whose roles are so diverse!
We have community volunteers for activities such as singing for the mind, youth theatre and games night; admin and marketing volunteers including our team of Maltings Ambassadors; volunteers for craft festivals; collection care volunteers including costume specialists; gardening volunteers at both venues and our museum front of house volunteers!
During the 2025-2026 financial year, our volunteers contributed a huge 8,979 hours of their time to the Maltings and Museum!
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Our main event during Volunteers’ Week was a lovely coffee morning which started with welcome speeches from members of staff including Peter Glanville, our CEO. Other members of staff from the Front of House, marketing and community teams mingled with the volunteers while they enjoyed coffee and cake. Here are a couple of the heartfelt thank yous from our staff:
Our volunteers are at the heart of Farnham Maltings – they are the smiling faces that welcome our customers and give their time, energy and enthusiasm to supporting us. Since our beginnings, we have been a community focused organisation and our volunteers are an essential part of this tradition. We would like to thank each and every one of them for everything they do for us.Rose Woods & Olivia Aylott, Senior Front of House Managers
Volunteers are the lifeblood of our museum. It is their time, dedication and reliability that helps us push the museum forwards to bigger and better things. Their enthusiasm, knowledge, energy and proactive attitude make our jobs such a pleasure, and we look forward to working with them every day. We genuinely couldn’t do this without them so whether they’ve volunteered with us for a week, or 40 plus years, we’re incredibly grateful to them.Lauren Wayland, Operations Manager at Farnham Museum
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As an additional thank you, we invited the volunteers to two exclusive tours at the museum, one on the history of Willmer House, then a Curators’ Tour which explored the key pieces in the museum. Both tours were followed by coffee in the Museum Library which the volunteers found fascinating as it is such a treasure trove of local history!
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During Volunteers’ Week, volunteers were asked why they love volunteering at the Maltings and the Museum – answers included:
- It’s a privilege to be able to assist in the running and development of this magnificent institution!
- Very rewarding.
- Being a volunteer here is fun and stimulating! The icing on the cake is that I feel appreciated!
- Great community spirit here at the Maltings.
- The opportunity to experience the interesting and diverse activities provided for a wide community.
- I am able to meet and greet our amazing audiences and make them feel welcome.
- It gives me a great feeling of satisfaction and helps my mental health.
- I feel valued.
- It’s a fun and interesting place to be part of.
- We have such fun!
- It is a joy to discover unusual objects when we investigate cupboards and boxes at the museum.
- I love the building, the atmosphere and the people … it’s my happy place!
- It’s great to meet people from so many walks of life and all so interesting to talk to.
- A great community spirit here!
- It is a friendly and welcoming place to be.
- I have a ‘ready made’ group of friends.
- I meet like-minded people.
- The Maltings is a wonderful community which is friendly and welcoming.