Conservation Volunteer

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A rare hands-on opportunity to be part of a team assisting the professional conservators in restoring the beautiful Grade 1 listed church, St. Mary Magdalene's in Paddington.

Currently on the 'Buildings at risk’ register, St Mary Magdalene is widely recognised as George Edmund Street’s masterpiece in London. A Heritage Lottery Fund grant will now ensure that it can be enjoyed by future generations.

Once this work is done the church will also serve as a bustling community, heritage and arts space.

Some of the tasks include:

• Working under the supervision of the project conservators on basic conservation cleaning tasks.
• Explore a range of conservation techniques.
• Actively contributing to ensuring the highest standards of care are upheld in conservation practice.
• Being prepared to propose ideas for improvement and be prepared to receive performance related feedback.

This role will suit people who:

• Like working as part of a team, but also thrive when working independently.
• Are able to follow instructions and work carefully with fragile materials.
• Those who love the challenge of learning new skills and contributing something to their community.
• Those with an interest in historic buildings and their care, or those with enthusiasm to develop this knowledge.
• Students of conservation who would like to gain experience on site working alongside professional conservators.

We welcome applications from all backgrounds, as some training will be provided.

In return we offer you the opportunity to share the huge sense of achievement as you bring back to life this extraordinary historic building, having the support of a friendly team of professionals and other volunteers, and the opportunity to learn about careers in conservation, and the wider heritage and cultural sectors.

Please have in mind that the requirements of the conservation volunteering will be reasonably physically demanding and requires an adequate to good level of physical fitness, and unfortunately there is currently no wheelchair access to St. Mary Magdalene’s (this issue is being addressed in the new building).

Some of the conservation work will involve working up a very safe scaffold, which effectively feel like floors in a building. However, those who experience vertigo will not find this role suitable.

Volunteer slots Monday - Friday, 9am-1pm.

For more information contact Lucy Foster, Community Heritage Programme Manager: lucy@pdt.org.uk.

Or call us at 020 3735 5175 or 07775 901963.