Many Helping Hands

Cragside could not survive without a host of volunteers.

Many of these people work all year round, but others come and stay for a week in the properties on one of the National Trust Volunteer Holidays.

The trust has 12 types of working holiday, from rebuilding walls and paths, wildlife surveys and gardening to working as a guide/helper in many of its historic properties scattered around the country.

It offers these holidays right across the age range, and family groups are also welcome to apply.

Working Holidays are a great experience for anyone who loves being outdoors and enjoys meeting new people from different backgrounds and of different ages.

You don’t need to be super fit or have amazing DIY skills, and as part of the holiday you’re given training by qualified instructors.

The group I met at Cragside ranged in age from nineteen to sixtyfive and all agreed it was a wonderful and worthwhile way to spend your holiday. “You never know what you’re going to find on these holidays,” they told me. “There are some beautiful orchids in this grassland and we had no idea they were here.

“It makes you understand the reason why we’re cutting this by hand with secateurs rather than a modern strimming/brushing machine, so they can be preserved.”

www.nationaltrust. org.uk/holidays/ working-holidays