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Birmingham Back to Backs looking for volunteers
Via Sophie for National Trust
February 2023: The Birmingham Back to Backs are calling for volunteers to share their love of the city with visitors from near and far. The National Trust in central Birmingham property is currently the No.1 thing to do in Birmingham on TripAdvisor and is loved by locals and visiting tourists alike.
They’re looking for people who are passionate about the city to join the team as volunteer tour guides, bookshop volunteers and visitor engagement volunteers.
Ashton Cartmell, Property Operations Manager at the Back to Backs, said,
The Back to Backs tell the stories of 200 years of working people’s lives right in the heart of Birmingham. We’re looking for people who love the city and its history to share their passion with visitors.
We simply couldn’t function without our wonderful team of volunteers. We’re looking to add to their ranks to help preserve this unique piece of history and share its stories with even more people.”
The Birmingham Back to Backs were opened as a visitor attraction by the National Trust in 2004, after an extensive project to save the unique buildings by the Birmingham Conservation Trust.
By the 1990s, this court of back-to-backs was deteriorating fast, it was at this point that the Birmingham Conservation Trust stepped in to preserve the houses, reverse the decline, and turn Court 15 into one of the most unusual museums in the country.
The rescue campaign was launched in 2001 and received national attention. It appeared that the fate of a block of back-to-backs in central Birmingham touched the heart of the nation and that everyone had a parent or a grandparent who had once lived in one.
It’s thanks to many individuals and organisations that Court 15 is not now a vacant lot next to the Hippodrome. Many people sent in sums of money, both big and small. The letters attached to the cheques all said the same thing. That Court 15 was too important to be allowed to crumble away, and that its history was our history.
Now the National Trust is seeking people to help continue the story of Court 15 and share its story with the world.
Ashton continued;
Whether you have personal family experience of back-to-back life, love the city or even want to get to know it better, you could start your next adventure volunteering at the Back to Backs.
We’re recruiting for lots of roles and would love people from any background to apply. You’ll be joining a passionate and friendly team and will have lots of opportunities for training.”
The Birmingham Back to Backs are recruiting Volunteer Tour Guides, Bookshop Volunteers and Visitor Engagement Volunteers. They are holding an open day at the Back to Backs for those who’d like to learn more on Monday 27th February 2023 from 11am to 12:45pm. There will also be an online session on Sunday 5th March 2023.
If you would like to join them for the open day you can register through the Back to Backs website or by emailing backtobacks@nationaltrust.org.uk
Learn more about volunteering at the Birmingham Back to Backs here nationaltrust.org.uk/volunteering-back-to-backs.
