Shelley Theatre still remains closed but we are working away in the background issuing refunds and looking forward to the future and being open!

The Shelley Theatre is determined to survive these challenging times. We would like to thank you all for the truly heart-warming support you have shown us, and we look forward to welcoming you back when we re-open.

Volunteer Myth Busting!

Volunteering at Shelley Theatre: Myth busting!

Who volunteers?

All sorts of people! The only prerequisites are that you need to be available to volunteer at least twice a month, be able to carry out the duties of some of the roles we have available and most importantly be a good team player!

What kind of roles does a volunteers fulfill?

The most popular one is front of house work (some call it ushering) and that’s because we need a lot of people to do this! We also need lots of people behind the bar, running the box office, cleaning the building, gardening and pounding the streets with leaflets and posters. We’re also looking for people with specialist skills such as plumbers, fundraisers and stage technicians.

How are volunteers trained?

Everyone starts at the beginning by fulfilling two front of house training shifts, regardless of their interest areas. For some this is really exciting but some people find this a bit daunting as it’s not really what they want to do long term with us! However, we’re committed to the belief that to be a volunteer with us, we all need to understand our customers, our building, our team and the great events we put on here and this is the only way to do that! Once this few hours of training is complete, we stream volunteers into their interest areas and provide extra training where applicable. Every three months, all volunteers get together for group training events and a drink or two!

How are shifts managed?

We run a user friendly state of the art shift management system built especially for volunteer organisations just like ours. Our volunteers sign up for shifts and manage their volunteer records online via our website. They also log in and out of the venue electronically so we can keep track of their hours and check everything’s ok with them. Our volunteer coordinator keeps an eye on everything to make sure volunteers are happy and all volunteers receive regular newsletters to keep them in the loop.

Can volunteers help shape the theatres future?

Yes. Right from the start, all our volunteers support in day to day roles do exactly this. We’re also really excited that three times a year the volunteers get together to vote on which films to include in our programme of events. As we get to know our volunteers better, some of them may be right for head of department positions where they get to lead a sub team of volunteers. More specific skills may emerge from the volunteer group that we never even knew we needed! 

How do I proceed from here?

We take on volunteers in small batches so as not to overwhelm the existing team. If you make an enquiry with us, you will be invited to an information event where you will be given a tour of the building and a lot more information about what volunteering with us entails. If you think it’s right for you then we’ll take it from there!

Email the Volunteer Coordinator for details about the next volunteer induction date - zoe@shelleytheatre.co.uk