Volunteer at Bluebell Railway
It is now easier than ever to become a volunteer at the Bluebell Railway.
If you are interested in volunteering, you can contact our dedicated volunteer coordinator Graham Aitken by emailing: volunteer.coordinator@bluebell-railway.com
We will then talk to you about the roles you are interested in and arrange a visit so you can find out more.
There are over 50 roles that can be undertaken by volunteers, and these are shown on the following list, which also gives broad details of any qualifications or skills needed, or preferred.
We also require a commitment from you to attend regularly, usually a minimum of twice a month, although this will depend on which role you undertake. Note that some roles are only required on specific dates or periods and this information will be clarified when you are contacted to discuss you preferred role.
Our Find Out More Days are back in 2022! Visit our webpage to find more.
Finance Director
As a PLC Board member, the Finance Director has the professional responsibility for the management of the company’s trading and to oversee the work of the Finance Manager and to assist the other departments where financial advice is required. This involves the management of the budgets together with provision of the year- end financial statements, to liaise with the auditors and to produce the annual cashflow budget for Board approval.
The Finance Director would be required to attend Board meetings and to provide monthly board reports incorporating comparisons with budgets and recommend actions required to ensure the company’s cashflow remains on budget; profit and loss accounts on special events and products; and oversee the company’s insurance and banking relationships.
The applicant would be expected to have a current knowledge of UKGAAP and VAT legislation and will be required to correspond with outside governing bodies.
This is a volunteer post that carries no remuneration or specific hours of duty. However, the successful applicant will require sufficient time and flexibility to effectively undertake this role and have the appropriate accounting competences to meet the professional requirements of the position.
If you believe you have the right qualifications and experience for this job please send your CV to lisa.boyle@bluebell-railway.co.uk or contact 01825 724884.
Safety & Assurance Director
As a PLC Board member, the Safety and assurance Director has professional responsibility for ensuring implementation of the requirements of the safety management system across the railway and for the strategic direction of the department.
A key function of the role is to Chair the Bluebell operating and safety review group and also to act as lead contact with regulatory authorities
The Safety Director delegates day to day management of the department to the Safety Compliance Officer.
This is a volunteer post that carries no remuneration or specific hours of duty. However, the successful applicant will require sufficient time and flexibility to effectively undertake this role and have the appropriate technical competences to meet the professional requirements of the post.
If you believe you have the right qualifications and experience for this job please send your CV to lisa.boyle@bluebell-railway.com
Personnel Director
The successful applicant will be responsible for leading the organisation’s HR function for paid staff and volunteers, designing, and directing learning, and development programs and employee engagement.
To develop a strategy for the Bluebell railway around Environmental, Social, and Corporate Governance (ESG) working with the Board and managers.
The Personnel Director is expected to attend board meetings and contribute to the company’s business decision-making.
This is a volunteer post that carries no remuneration or specific hours of duty. However, the successful applicant will require sufficient time and flexibility to effectively undertake this role and have the appropriate qualifications to meet the professional requirements of the post.
If you believe you have the right qualifications and experience for this job please send your CV to lisa.boyle@bluebell-railway.com
Catering Volunteers
Question…
What could be better than either:
Sitting on a moving train in a buffet car and enjoying the passing scenery whilst partaking of a refreshing tea/coffee/soft drink/alcoholic drink, and perhaps a small snack
OR
Enjoying a drink, snack, or ice cream in the picnic garden at Kingscote station, whilst children are having fun in the playground
OR
Keeping calm in the buffet car at East Grinstead station with a welcoming drink and perhaps a snack, whilst awaiting the excitement of a steam train ride to discover the rest of the fabulous Bluebell Railway
Answer…
Being the person who provides the refreshments in all three of these options.
If you like interacting with people, providing a service that our visitors enjoy and making their day just that little bit more special this is the job for you.
Ideally, we aim to provide a small team of two people for the on-train buffet car and at both the Kingscote and East Grinstead buffets, so therefore ideal for spouses, partners, family members, friends or leave it to us to create the teams.
Perhaps you might already be a volunteer, if so, why not encourage your spouse, partner, family member or a friend to make up your own team of two, in addition to your normal volunteering activity.
With the 2022 running season about to get underway we are looking for 20 individuals, or 10 teams of two, to join our existing volunteers in making our visitors experience just that little bit more special.
Please contact the Volunteer Coordinator now at: volunteer.coordinator@bluebell-railway.com if you think that this would be just the job for you. A member of the Volunteer Catering Team will then contact you to answer any questions you might have and arrange a date for you to join us.
Track Safety Trainer
This is a volunteer post that carries no remuneration or specific hours of duty although the successful applicant will require to commit around 2 days each month to effectively undertake this role.
The staff Track safety training dates are agreed and published 6+ months in advance and require the trainer to commit to these dates in order to meet the programme.
The successful applicant will have experience and qualifications in training delivery, Candidate assessment and also a good knowledge railway safety training principles and of the Bluebell Railway to enable them to interact effectively with candidates.
The role involves the preparation, delivery, candidate assessment and subsequent administration tasks of new and refresher track safety training, primarily PTS but may include Lineside Photographers, PICOW (COSS or SWL1 equivalent) ES (SWL2 Equivalent) where the candidate is suitably experienced.
The post could suit a retired or partially retired trainer or assessor who has the necessary skills to do the job.
If you believe you have the right qualifications for this job and would like to discuss the opportunity informally in the first instance, then please contact lisa.boyle@bluebell-railway.com for an application form.
Volunteer Sleeping Accommodation Coordinator
The successful applicant will be responsible for managing the sleeping accommodation at Sheffield Park Station.
This will include overseeing the booking process, routinely check the facilities are well maintained on a weekly basis and the house rules are being followed and report any building defects.
This a volunteer position that carries no remuneration or specific hours of duty but requires a reasonable time commitment.
Please contact Lisa Boyle on 01825 724884 or email lisa.boyle@bluebell-railway.com for further information.
Estates Manager
We are recruiting a volunteer Estates Manager to improve on the management of the Bluebell Railway’s land ownership.
Reporting to the Infrastructure Director, the post holder will be responsible for all aspects of estate management, including:
- Dealing with boundary issues and encroachments, including up-dating Land Registry documentation if necessary.
- Managing leases (residential & commercial), licences and any land sales. This could include dealing with negotiations.
- Preparing and maintaining a database of wayleaves, easements and licences.
- Advising and assisting with applications for planning consent.
- Preparing Board reports and papers.
The post carries no remuneration or specific hours of duty. However, the successful applicant will require sufficient time and flexibility to be present at the railway to effectively undertake this role and will have experience in estates management and related activities.
If you believe you have the right qualifications for this job and would like to discuss the opportunity, please email your CV and contact details to lisa.boyle@bluebell-railway.com or contact 01825 724884.
Carriage and Wagon Works
Where | What | Qualifications/skills needed | Commitment |
Horsted Keynes | Mechanical Engineers | CV detailing qualifications or evidence of experience as, for example, fabricators, fitters, mechanics or welders. | On-site interview will be held to discuss qualifications and frequency of attendance |
Horsted Keynes | Carriage restoration | Skills, or a willingness to learn woodworking, electronics, metalwork, painting and plumbing. | Regular |
Horsted Keynes | Seat upholstery | Basic knowledge of woodwork and working with fabrics. Full training will be given. | Regular |
Horsted Keynes | Goods van and wagon restoration | Skills, or willingness to learn of carpentry, metalwork and painting. | Regular |
Catering
Where | What | Qualifications/skills needed | Commitment |
Horsted Keynes, Kingscote and East Grinstead | Front of House | Interpersonal skills. Full training will be given. | Regular |
On train | Buffet car attendants | Interpersonal skills. Full training will be given. | Regular |
On train | Fish and Chip train stewards | Interpersonal skills. Full training will be given. | Regular – mainly Friday evenings |
On train | Santa and SteamLights stewards | Interpersonal skills. Full training will be given. | Santa – December daytimes
SteamLights – November and December evenings |
On train | Great Northern Saloon stewards | Interpersonal skills. Full training will be given. | Occasional |
Commercial
Where | What | Qualifications/skills needed | Commitment |
Sheffield Park | Customer service assistants | Computer literate, organised, good communicator, methodical with excellent interpersonal skills. | Commitment to regular days and hours |
Sheffield Park | On train guides | Customer facing – must be able to talk to people. | Weekly |
Sheffield Park | Education coordinator and assistants | Skilled in communicating to primary and secondary school children. Must be able to communicate with interest and passion. | Weekly |
Sheffield Park | Marketing assistants | Working knowledge of Serif for graphic design. Ability to talk to customers and act on feedback. Skills in developing and delivering training programmes. | Weekly |
Sheffield Park | Speakers to give talks and lectures about Bluebell | Good knowledge about our railway and a confident speaker to businesses, clubs and rest homes. Skills in developing and delivering training programmes. | Occasional |
Sheffield Park and Horsted Keynes | Wedding assistant | Excellent interpersonal skills and ability to help with the setting up before and clearing up after each wedding. | Occasional |
Sheffield Park | Santa assistant | Help with decorations, packing presents, stacking presents and delivering them to other stations. Own transport required. | Seasonal daytimes (November and December) |
Sheffield Park | SteamLights assistant | As part of the delivery team for this event you will need to be able to undertake tasks in a timely and detailed fashion. | Seasonal evenings (November and December) |
Sheffield Park, Horsted Keynes, Kingscote and East Grinstead | Events staff | Assorted roles such as meeting and greeting visitors, car parking attendants, and putting up and taking down tents. | Occasional |
Infrastructure
Where | What | Qualifications/skills needed | Commitment |
Horsted Keynes | Permanent Way engineers | Must be fit, able and willing to work outdoors undertaking tasks that include track maintenance and renewals, lineside clearance, lineside fencing and buildings maintenance. | Regular or occasional depending on activity |
Horsted Keynes | Signal assistant technician | An individual who will enjoy working in a small team maintaining and faulting mechanical and electrical infrastructure. Must be reasonably fit and enjoy working outside, in inclement weather during emergencies. Ideally have experience in electrical and/or mechanical engineering, but positions are also available in more physical applications. Training in the black art of railway signalling is the department’s speciality. | Team usually meets daytime on Wednesdays and Sundays.
There are currently no vacancies for Signal assistant technicians and a waiting list has been created. If this is a role that you are interested in, why not apply to join the waiting list and until a vacancy occurs why not consider applying for one of the other 50+ roles while you wait? |
Horsted Keynes | Assistant telecommunications technician | An individual who will enjoy working in a small team maintaining and faulting mechanical and electrical infrastructure. Must be reasonably fit and enjoy working outside, in inclement weather during emergencies. Ideally will have experience in telecoms equipment. | Team usually meets daytime on Saturdays
There are currently no vacancies for Signal assistant technicians and a waiting list has been created. If this is a role that you are interested in, why not apply to join the waiting list and until a vacancy occurs why not consider applying for one of the other 50+ roles whilst you wait? |
Horsted Keynes | Electrician | Whilst electrical experience is desirable, full training will be given, if necessary | Weekly on a Wednesday between 1400 and 2000. |
Sheffield Park, Horsted Keynes, Kingscote and East Grinstead | Friends of each station groups | General DIY maintenance group with skills in bricklaying, carpentry, electrics, gardening, painting and plumbing welcomed. | Regular |
Loco Works
Where | What | Qualifications/skills needed | Commitment |
Sheffield Park | Mechanical engineers | CV detailing qualifications or evidence of experience as, for example, machinists, fabricators, welders and fitters. | On-site interview will be held to discuss qualifications and frequency of attendance |
Sheffield Park Atlantic House | Mechanical engineers | CV detailing qualifications or evidence of experience as, for example, machinists, fabricators, welders and fitters. | On-site interview will be held to discuss qualifications and frequency of attendance |
Museum
Where | What | Qualifications/skills needed | Commitment |
Sheffield Park | Stewards | A person who will enjoy welcoming visitors, both adults and children, to our exciting museum. (Knowledge of the history of railways is not necessary). | Regular |
Holmwood/ Home | Archive team | Good communications skills, use of PC, basic knowledge of MS Excel. Ability and knowledge to catalogue photographs. Experience making high resolution scans of photos, negatives and slides. Experience using image editing software. (It is not necessary to have all of these skills.) | Regular (monthly) and as necessary at home to meet timescales |
Operations
Where | What | Qualifications/skills needed | Commitment |
Sheffield Park, Horsted Keynes, Kingscote and East Grinstead | Station staff | Interpersonal skills. Full training will be given. | Regular |
Sheffield Park | Booking Office Clerks | Good interpersonal skills, plus a good head for figures, and a knowledge of the Railway so as to answer questions from our visitors and to sell them tickets | Regular |
Sheffield Park | Passenger train guard | Must be a safety qualified member of station staff. | Regular |
Sheffield Park | Goods train guard | Must be a qualified Passenger train guard. | Occasional |
Sheffield Park, Horsted Keynes and Kingscote | Signal (wo)men | Must be a safety qualified member of station staff. | Regular |
Sheffield Park | Engine cleaners | Full training will be given. | Regular |
Sheffield Park | Fire (wo)men | Must be a qualified engine cleaner. | Regular |
Sheffield Park | Drivers | Must be a qualified Fire(wo)man. | Regular |
Sheffield Park | Shunters | Operations experience necessary with top up training given. | Regular |
Sheffield Park | Carriage cleaners | Full training will be given. | Regular |
Sheffield Park | Operations clerk | Good computer skills to maintain the Operations competency system – BROOSS, | Regular |
On train | Travelling ticket inspectors (train guides) | Good interpersonal skills and willingness to speak to passengers about what to see and do at the Bluebell Railway. | Regular (From Spring 2022) |
Personnel
Where | What | Qualifications/skills needed | Commitment |
Sheffield Park | Personnel and admin assistants | Absolute discretion, an eye for detail and must be organised. | Regular |
Retail
Where | What | Qualifications/skills needed | Commitment |
Sheffield Park | Shop assistants | Excellent interpersonal skills and commercially minded. | Regular |
Horsted Keynes | Shop assistants | Excellent interpersonal skills and able to work on own. | Regular |
Online Shop | Shop assistants | Good working knowledge of computer and website skills and required to package and post online purchases. | Regular |
Bluebell Railway Trust
Where | What | Qualifications/skills needed | Commitment |
Sheffield Park/ Home | Funding Manager | Ability to work with the Trust Governors to help with finance ongoing restoration of heritage assets and in the future of the railway. Key attributes required are use of initiative, versatility and the ability to get on with people. | Regular |
Sheffield Park/ Home | Management Accountant | Must be a qualified accountant or have extensive computerised accounting systems. Key attributes are experience of versatility and the ability to get on with people. | Regular |