We’re absolutely buzzing that our VB Volunteers have been awarded The Ark (Heritage) Recognising Sporting Volunteers Award at this year’s Sporting Heritage Awards!
On Thursday 9 May a trio of our volunteers, alongside our Engagement Manager, Ella Walker, made the journey to Headingley Stadium in Leeds for the Sporting Heritage Awards. This is the second year the awards have taken place, which is intended to acknowledge the work that takes place within the sporting heritage sector and the impact that this has across the UK. Nine different categories cover a range of awards celebrating sporting heritage achievements.
It was a fantastic evening, starting with a tour of the historical Stadium itself, and a meal with the guests and fellow nominees. As the awards began we were able to find out more about the wonderful projects, teams, and organizations who were nominated for other awards. It was inspiring to hear about how sporting heritage is cherished and celebrated.
The evening’s entertainment from Unsung Sports was a particular highlight, and we enjoyed hearing more about non-mainstream sports and the crossover between sport and art!
The Victoria Baths staff team nominated the VB Volunteers for their continued commitment of time, energy, skills, and knowledge to the preservation of our Grade II* listed building. This award recognises the importance of our volunteers, past and present, in the restoration and safeguarding of the building and its history.
We were thrilled to be announced as the winners of the award and have the opportunity to share the story of the Baths and the importance of our wonderful volunteer team!
Dr Justine Reilly, Managing Director of Sporting Heritage says, “The volunteering community plays a pivotal role in ensuring our sporting heritage is protected, promoted and preserved for people to enjoy today and in the future. Victoria Baths is a perfect example of the important and valuable work undertaken by volunteers.”
Ella Walker, Engagement Manager for Victoria Baths, says, “We are thrilled to have won the Recognising Sporting Volunteers Award. Without volunteers we wouldn’t have made the progress that we have at Victoria Baths; from the moment that the community campaigned to save our building in the early 1990s they have been an instrumental part of everything that we do. Today our volunteers support us with all sorts of tasks. From cataloging and maintaining our historical archives to running guided building tours and supporting our regular public events. All our volunteers today support our aim to preserve the beautiful building, make it accessible to the public, and share the stories of its heritage and history.
We’d like to say a huge thank you to the Sporting Heritage team, the award panel, and all the sponsors of the awards, including The Ark (Heritage). Thank you for choosing our wonderful volunteers!”
About Our Volunteer Programme
There are lots of ways to get involved as a Volunteer, as often or as infrequently as you’d like!
Many of our volunteers have been with us for a long time and we try to ensure that they benefit from the time they spend with us in as many different ways as possible, including with fun social activities. For some it is valuable work experience, for others it is a way of building up a new skill base and for some, it is an enjoyable way of meeting new people and being a part of the community.
If you are interested in becoming a future volunteer at Victoria Baths join our volunteer mailing list; this will give you access to information about new roles and opportunities as they arise. All the information to do that is here.
For further information on Victoria Baths explore our website further www.victoriabaths.org.uk. To find out more about the role of Sporting Heritage visit www.sportingheritage.org.uk
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