Volunteering - The Gregson Community & Arts Centre

We love our Volunteers!

We’re always open to more people joining our community of well over 100 volunteers, but at the moment we have limited roles on offer.

Things change all the time at the Gregson, so please check back again soon, or email our volunteer co-ordinator Lisa at l.shrimpton@gregson.co.uk with any questions. Alternatively fill out our expression of interest form and Lisa will be in touch soon for a chat.

Want to Volunteer?

Fill out our expression of interest form!

We're looking for a new Chair, Trustees and Directors

The Gregson Community Association (GCA) is seeking to appoint new trustees including a new Chair.

The Gregson is thriving. We have been on a remarkable journey since the pandemic when the Board decided to take back the running of the centre. In 2022, we appointed our first CEO and growth since then has been rapid and inspiring. The Gregson is busier than ever.

We have a strong and diverse Board including a healthy balance of longer-serving members and newer trustees. We have recently set up Gregson Trading (GTL) to manage the bar and catering aspects of our operation, donating all profits back to the GCA. We are now looking to recruit a new Director to the Trading company with experience in the bar/catering sector.

We are now working to fulfil a new Business plan with a vision for 2027 to transform our historic building and spaces into inspirational contemporary places that enable our community to thrive and we remain committed to our mission for people to be in the driving seat of their community events and cultural experience.

As we approach the next phase of our development, we are seeking to appoint a new Chair to replace Joe Sumsion who has been on the Board for four year as well as new Trustees to join the Gregson Board and one Director for the newly established Gregson Trading Ltd. Across all these roles, we are keen to hear from those in traditionally under-represented groups in our community: the Gregson is committed to fully reflecting the diversity of our wider community.

If you are keen to make a difference to community life here in Lancaster this opportunity could be for you.

Find out more by downloading Chair, Trustee, Director Candidate Brief here

Application Deadline: 5.00 pm, Friday 19th April, 2024

We plan to carry out interviews between late April and mid-May, working around applicants’ commitments.If you think this could be for you and would like an informal chat with a member of the Gregson team before
you apply please contact one of the following:

● GCA Chair, Joe Sumsion – j.sumsion@gregson.co.uk
● GCA Treasurer and GTL Chair, Helen Jackson – h.jackson@gregson.co.uk
● GCA Chief Executive, Charles Tyrer – c.tyrer@gregson.co.uk

Join the Gregson Festival Group

Are you interested in meeting new people and helping with the organisation of local community events?

The Gregson Festival Group (GFG) is a subgroup of the Gregson. Their main objective is to put on low cost, accessible community events that promote community life.

The group organise a variety of events throughout the year, including the annual Children’s Halloween Fair, and the Santa Float that visits the Ridge and Freehold near Christmas.

Their largest event is the bonfire and firework display that takes place on Miss Whalley’s Field (subject to raising funds). The group are now seeking a couple of new volunteers to join their friendly group and help them to organise and run events. They are looking for community minded people and those with skills in community fundraising and those experienced in putting together small fundraising applications.

The GFG meet once a month for around 2 hours at busy times (between September and January), and less frequently throughout the year, depending on plans. If you are interested in community activity and making things happen, please get in touch with Chair, Paul at: gregsonfestivalgroup@aol.co.uk to arrange an informal chat to find out more about what they do or join them at one of their meetings to say hello to the group and learn more about them.

Volunteers dressed as elves and Father Christmas

Cinema Assistants - we're still looking for you...

We’re looking for 2 or 3 friendly, reliable volunteers who could welcome people to our seasonal Secret Screenings at our very own Secret Cinema! You’d be making sure everything runs smoothly (it’s not that technical, and we’ll show you how!) and then join anyone who wants to chat about the film in the bar for a drink afterwards.

Screenings are normally in the evening or weekend afternoons. Please get in touch to find out more

-Not something here for you?

If you’d like to find out more about any of the above roles, or have any questions to do with volunteering – please get in touch with Lisa, our Volunteer Co-ordinator by emailing l.shrimpton@gregson.co.uk or by calling 01524 849959

Picture of the Gregson Centre's Secret Cinema empty

Support Highfield Sports Ground

This is a really great role for a local person that doesn’t have much time to give.

Did you know that Highfiled Sports Ground is a Sub Group of the Gregson?

The Highfield site has very little vandalism or anti social behaviour because it is consistently locked up at night. The group are currently needing more people to join the gate rota.

If you are able to open up just one day a week by 9am it would be hugely appreciated. We are currently looking for people to open up on Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday mornings.

Or if you are not a morning person, we are looking for people to lock up on Tuesday, and Saturday evenings. The site gets locked up either at sunset, or 9pm (whichever is earlier).

You would be given a key to the padlock, and you would simply need to lock/unlock the padlock on the gate into the site, and the gate into the MUGA.

If you are able to help, please email Judith on gregson.highfield@gmail.com

Volunteer Admin Assistant - Role now filled!

Save us from ourselves!! If you are organised, reliable, confident with email and can edit a (pretty straightforward) spreadsheet AND you could give us a couple of hours of your time a week, we’ll love you forever… We need someone to keep on top of All The Stuff; there’ll be a variety of different tasks and lots of tea and biscuits.