Volunteering and Community at Belton

Volunteers in blue National Trust t-shirts at Countryfile Live, Oxfordshire — Our team of volunteers help us to welcome visitors to Belton | © National Trust Images/Chris Lacey

At Belton Estate, a team of over 400 volunteers help us carry out conservation work, welcome visitors, and open our doors 364 days of the year. You could be one of them. Or if you’re looking for a team building day and wish to support a charity at the same time, Belton is a great place to choose.

Volunteering at Belton

Belton has a diverse range of volunteering opportunities for people from a wide range of backgrounds with different experience and talents. There is no such thing as a ‘typical volunteer’ with full training and support provided so everyone can make a difference at Belton.

Whoever you are, you can use your skills, learn new ones and work with a great team of volunteers.

Ways to volunteer at Belton

Volunteering at Belton is flexible to fit around your other commitments. Whether you’re looking to help in the outdoors, connect with the public, or get up close and personal with Belton, we will have the role for you.

"We are one big happy, cooperative and friendly team (occasionally silly) working for a series of shared common goals: protecting and preserving the mansion, the collection and the grounds, and sharing that experience. I have now spent 15 years at Belton, that is five years longer than any post I held while I was teaching. All 15 of them have been utterly amazing."

"One thing I like about volunteering at Belton is that there isn't really a typical day! I enjoy having a range of roles, together with the opportunity to opt in to ad-hoc roles as needed. Seeing something that you have had a part in coming to fruition is satisfying and sometimes exciting, whether that's a visitor buying from a display I've arranged, someone enjoying an event I've been involved in planning, or quite simply, a visitor telling me what a lovely day they've had."

"I volunteer at Belton for a change of scenery, to share with others my appreciation of beautiful artefacts, and to entertain and inform visitors to make their visit worthwhile."

Why join us?

There are lots of reasons to join us; making the move to volunteer could be the best decision you ever make.

Become part of a friendly and dedicated team
Meet people from all walks of life and forge new friendships
Utilise your existing skills and learn new ones
Strengthen your CV and help to develop your career
Enjoy the great outdoors
Learn about the history of this special place.

Interested in work experience opportunities?

Are you interested in history or conservation? Do you enjoy meeting people and helping them to make the best of their day? Are you interested in retail, or food and beverage? Email us at belton@nationaltrust.org.uk to enquire about our work experience booklet, which highlights the opportunities available across the Estate.

Get in touch about volunteer opportunities at Belton Estate

Interested in volunteering at Belton? Click here, and type in 'Belton' to find volunteering opportunities.

National Trust Surf Ambassadors volunteering to help clear scrub at Sandymouth, Cornwall. — Get in touch to discuss group volunteering opportunities | © Ben Selway

Corporate and Group Volunteering

If you’re looking for a team building day with your employees or group and wish to support a charity at the same time, Belton is a great place to choose.

We have a dedicated programme of exciting and interesting activities for groups to participate in while helping our Garden or Ranger teams. Depending on the time of year we can accommodate different tasks on the same day for large groups. In the past teams have got stuck in repairing fences, removing weeds from Towthorpe Pond, planting trees, or doing garden maintenance.

The skills and energy from team days are hugely valuable to the National Trust, helping us to achieve projects within a day.

To host a team building day, we kindly ask for a donation of £25 per person. The donations support the restoration work of the gardens and parkland at Belton.

Contact us at belton@nationaltrust.org.uk to arrange a pre-visit to Belton, so we can discuss details and ensure the day meets your requirements. Please let us know what you’re looking to get out of the day so we can tailor it to your needs.

Thank you

Thank you to all our volunteers who give their time to support the National Trust in many different roles.

Gardening volunteer working in the formal gardens at East Riddlesden Hall — There are lots of ways to get involved at Belton | © Victoria Holland

Community Partners Pass

We know that Belton plays an important role for the people in our community, and so we hope that a community pass will enable more people to benefit from all that this special place has to offer.

The Community Partners Pass offers free annual admission to Belton for groups who are working with and serving the community. Please note, the pass is allocated for group rather than individual use.

There is an annual fee for the pass, which is based on the size of the community group.