Wigtown Book Festival volunteers are urging other people to seize the opportunity to be part of a fun, fulfilling and fantastic event.
This is Volunteers’ Week (2-8 June) and the whole country is celebrating the people who give their time to help and support others – and also to highlight how rewarding volunteering can be.
In the case of Wigtown Book Festival (WBF) there are more than 100 people – some living locally and others flying in specially from as far away as the USA – who get involved.
And more are always wanted – so if you would like to be part of one of Scotland’s best-loved annual events, WBF is waiting to hear from you.
This is what some of the existing volunteers say:
Fred Kluit, top picture, who lives near Wigtown with his wife Ans [corr], said: “We started volunteering because we had so much fun as customers. We decided to give something back.
“For the first three years I volunteered for the Festival Shop. I loved to chat with customers about books, writers, festival etcetera. Then I got involved in organising the storing and selling of books in the Festival Pop Up Bookshop and organising the selling and signing of books straight after the events at the venues.
“This is hard work but gives so much fun and the feeling that we help to make the festival a success. Most important to us is the contact with visitors from all over the UK and abroad. They are happy to be part of the festival and grateful for everything you can do to help them.
“So, for us the volunteering makes us more part of Wigtown, the festival and the writers and customers, wherever they came from.”
Emma Drysdale, who lives locally, said: “I’ve been volunteering (on and off) for the last 18 years. It’s been amazing to see it grow exponentially from a wee local festival that attracted some locals and visitors, to a national event that puts Wigtown firmly on the map.
“People travel from not just all over the UK but also from aboard to attend the events and activities throughout the 10-day festival. Furthermore, many local businesses – shops, cafes, pubs, accommodation etc benefit hugely from the influx of visitors. Being a volunteer, in whatever capacity, makes you feel a big part of that success and it’s very much a ‘team approach’ to make the festival go as smoothly as possible as well as giving the visitors/attendees and authors the best experience possible.”
Anne Dunford, above, who moved to Wigtown over 20 years ago, added: “I’ve been teaching those learning to read and training others in how best to support those struggling with reading, for most of my working life. I moved here in the autumn of 2002, just missing the festival that year, but from 2003 onwards, I’ve enjoyed getting involved with the Book Festival as a volunteer.
“As an avid reader and one who is passionate about encouraging people of all ages to share the enjoyment that reading can bring, getting involved with the festival is a chance to do just that. There are so many ways volunteers can contribute whether it’s stewarding events, working in the box office, setting up event venues or meeting famous authors and driving them to and from the station or airport. It’s great to see people enjoying themselves, discussing what they’ve read, who they’ve met.
“After 22 years of volunteering, usually stewarding or looking after information points, I never tire of meeting people and seeing the town buzzing with folk enjoying the world of books.”
Volunteers get involved in many different ways as:
- Drivers
- Event stewards
- Event hosts
- Festival bookshop assistants
- Volunteers for our children’s and young people’s programmes
- Shop assistants
· Administrators.
Some roles are just during the festival but others, like helping in the bookshop, can be year-round.
And there are all sorts of rewards, including a £25 voucher for festival tickets plus the chance to request being a steward for specific events they would like to see and volunteers are the first to see the programme in a pre-launch event.
Anne Barclay, Wigtown Festival Company operations director, said: “Our volunteers make such a big difference, they are wonderful and we just can’t thank them enough.
“And right now we are looking for more, so please come forward if you would like to join them.
“It’s a great way to get involved in the community as well as the festival. We run volunteer gatherings throughout the year to talk shop and enjoy each others’ company over hot drinks and cake.”
Wigtown Book Festival brings £4.3 million to the local economy each year, attracting over 300,000 visitors to Wigtown since it began and over 3,000 authors and performers. Our volunteers are an essential part of what we do.
All are welcome – the festival is committed to providing equal opportunities. If you are interested in volunteering and have additional support needs, please don’t hesitate to get in touch by emailing mail@wigtownbookfestival.com or phoning on 01988 402036.