This project will have opportunities for volunteers across England to get involved over the next 4 years, as well as remote volunteering options. There will be roles suitable for a wide range of interests and abilities and full training will be provided for all roles.
We will be looking for volunteers to:
- Visit churchyards to enrich the record with inscriptions, materials, form, symbolism, condition checks and extra photographs, as well as information about the value of the area for wildlife such as veteran tree records, habitats for lichen, fungi, wildflowers and insects.
- Visit local archives or look online to research the people whose stories begin on the gravestones with more detail such as wills, census records, newspaper articles and more.
- Work from home inputting data to the digital maps such as typing up inscriptions, adding photos and PDFs of research.
Training offered includes:
- Memorial recording training – how to identify different forms of monument, what they are made from and what the symbols on them mean. Get tips for reading even the most faded inscriptions, taking great photos and undertaking basic condition checks.
- Digital map training – learn how to use the AG mapping system to explore the records for your local churchyard and how records such as photos and extra information are added to enrich the map.
- Wildlife recording training – learn about the churchyard wildlife with guidance from Caring for God’s Acre or other specialists to help record biodiversity as well as memorials.
- Archival and research training – how to get the most out of your local archives and/or online platforms like Ancestry and British Newspaper Archives to find out about the people buried in the churchyard.
- Visit other burial grounds to explore and meet other volunteers – we will arrange guided tours and visits for volunteers to sites in every diocese where we can share skills, swap knowledge and celebrate our progress.
We are keen to work with community groups, schools and other educational organisations and widen access to burial grounds. We have volunteering roles and projects suitable for children and young people, for neurodivergent volunteers and those with learning disabilities, and for people with mobility impairments including housebound volunteers. Please get in touch if you are interested in volunteering but have specific access requirements.
