HERITAGE VOLUNTEERSHeritage Volunteers are NADFAS members who give their time to help preserve our wonderful heritage throughout the nation. They have commitment, discipline and enthusiasm, work as team players and find the work stimulating and rewarding. In the West Surrey area there are over 200 Heritage Volunteers supporting local museums and galleries, historic houses, churches, libraries and archives.
Museums, Galleries, Archives, Historic Houses, even Palaces benefit from the time that Heritage Volunteers give, acting as Stewards and Guides, working at preventative conservation and caring for the many artefacts held in public and private venues. Without the help of Heritage Volunteers, some of these would undoubtedly deteriorate to such an extent that they could be lost forever.
Another facet of Heritage Volunteering is Garden Recording - in the West Surrey Area, Farnham DFAS researches the history of local gardens and reports to Surrey Gardens Trust. Farnham Garden Recorders Group has also contributed material towards “Down the Garden Path”, a small Exhibition on the history of gardens and gardening at the Museum of Farnham.
After basic training courses from professional Conservators in the various disciplines, interests are shared and friendships formed as members work together in teams.
Past Heritage Volunteering activities in West Surrey include:
preventative conservation of fabrics in churches and museums;
making protective supports for costumes, shoes and bonnets;
caring for collections of historic artifacts, sculpture and paintings;
guiding - for all types of groups;
stewarding - in museums, historic houses or gardens;
providing assistance with research and educational activities;
assisting the planning and mounting of exhibitions;
conservation of books, manuscripts, archives and maps;
cataloguing documents and archival listing;
documentation of objects including listing and transcribing;
conservation of Metalwork. Cleaning and cataloguing arms and armour, medals and military silver;
restoring old aircraft at Brooklands Museum;
gardens - research and recording;
making padded coat hangers and uniform covers for the Airborne Forces Museum;working on the formers and supports for hats and bonnets
Current projects which are benefitting from the skills developed by NADFAS volunteers include:
 | Altar Frontal
Windlebrook DFAS' volunteers will begin to conserve an altar frontal at St Lawrence Church, Chobham when they have completed the tasks for the Mothers' Union
| | Haslemere Educational Museum
Haslemere DFAS volunteers are working at this museum as well as at various National Trust properties
| | Mothers' Union Banner & Stole
Haslemere DFAS is supporting the conservation of the banner in St Bartholomew's Church and the stole in St Christopher's Church, both in Haslemere. Shalford and Windlebrook DFAS' volunteers are hoping to do these in October.
| | Finchampstead's WI banner
Three Windlebrook DFAS volunteers are conserving this banner for the WI.
| | Heritage Gallery in Camberley
Camberley DFAS volunteers run this gallery, which has a NADFAS display and is situated in the town centre
| | Army Medical Museum
Members of Farnham DFAS are working at the museum
| | Rural Life Centre
Members of Farnham DFAS volunteers are working at the centre
| | Stewarding
At a variety of venues including Petworth Park, Painshill Park, Uppark, The Lightbox, the Watts Gallery, Hampton Court Palace - volunteers from various West Surrey Area member societies
| | RMA Sandhurst
Archiving documents - Camberley DFAS
| | Guildford Institute Library
Conservation and cataloguing a collection of 5,000 books - Shalford and The Wey Valley DFAS
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It is responsible, but very rewarding work in which we are proud to be involved.
If you would be interested in becoming a NADFAS Heritage Volunteer, or would like further information, please contact one of our societies or email:
heritage@nadfas-westsurreyarea.org.uk
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