Grant holders
Volunteers stand beside a tank at IWM North in Manchester

“Volunteering has opened up new opportunities for me” 

When Gary first heard about ‘In Touch’ through employment organisation Working Links, he had been unemployed for a long time. After signing up for the 10-week training course, he is now a regular volunteer at Manchester Museum.

“There were 10 of us on the course – all from different backgrounds. There was a really good spirit in the group, and we learned a lot of different skills. After that, I started volunteering with the front-of-house staff in the museum. This involved welcoming visitors, talking about the objects, and helping with school visits. I love what I’m doing now – working behind the scenes, cataloguing the entomology collection and boxes of scientific papers.

Volunteering has opened up new opportunities for me, like my NVQ Level 2 in Customer Service. The assessment for this was done in the museum.”

Gary Jaye, volunteer at Manchester Museum

Gary Jaye, Manchester Museum 

Gary Jaye, Manchester Museum