All About Volunteering in RBWM

Gordon Marshall is one of the volunteers who help to run the Windsor & Royal Borough Museum, based at Windsor Guildhall.

1. Could you first please tell us a little something about yourself?

My name is Gordon Marshall and I live in Clewer village approximately one mile west of Windsor town centre. After finishing education I went to the National Sea Training School and after training joined the Merchant Navy and travelled extensively around the world.

On leaving the Navy I married and had three children. I became employed by Nestle in the sales and marketing department and was made district sales manager for the London region. After that I felt that there were great opportunities in the property development market and started my own business developing in the UK and overseas for example, the Seychelles in the Indian Ocean.

My next career change was to enter the financial services industry where I became a partner in a practice advising corporate and personal clients on investment and other financial products. After a long and successful career I retired, but missed the face to face contact with people.

2. What’s involved in your role as a volunteer?

I have been a volunteer at the Windsor and Royal Borough Museum for approximately 6 years. It involves meeting and greeting visitors and answering any questions they may have about the town and its local history. I also give guided tours of the upstairs rooms at Windsor Guildhall, where there are many items of interest.

3. Why do you volunteer? What do you get from it personally?

The reason I volunteer is because I enjoy meeting people from all over the world and from different walks of life. The information you can glean from them is as interesting as the information you can give them, so there is a mutual benefit.

4. What do you like most about volunteering?

Volunteering gives you a sense of satisfaction that you are still useful and able to benefit by contributing to the local community.

5. What do you like most about the museum?

Windsor & Royal Borough Museum and Information Centre is located on the ground floor of Windsor Guildhall giving a greater sense of history and meaning to the role. Since reopening after the pandemic, the museum is now free to all.

Interested in volunteering at the museum?

They are looking to recruit more volunteers to help greet visitors to the space. Please email museum@rbwm.gov.uk if you are interested in joining the friendly team.

Alex Whitelock is one of around 130 dedicated volunteers who help with the running of the Royal Borough’s Library Service. He has volunteered since October 2021 for Maidenhead Library, taking care of two Home Library Service cluster locations – Fifield/Bray and Hurley.

1. Could you first please tell us a little something about yourself?

My name is Alex Whitelock and I live in Furze Platt, Maidenhead. I am retired and used to work for Waitrose as a delivery driver. I like books and obviously reading - science fiction is my favourite. I am also a house-husband so I do all the chores in the house, in particular a cherished teddie collection of about 400 hundred that requires individual dusting once a month. I enjoy self-learning, mostly in science, mathematics and also photography with a proper camera.

2. What’s involved in your role as a volunteer?

I take books out to housebound readers once every three weeks. The library team sorts out the books requested by readers, prepares them in bags, lets me know they are ready for collection on the allocated day. I come and collect them, I use my own car to get to the readers, visit the readers, have a chat with them at the door, and then bring their returned books back.

3. Why do you volunteer? What do you get from it personally?

I get a thrill out of doing something for another person that they cannot do themselves as they cannot get to the library on their for whatever reason.

4. What do you like most about volunteering?

I get to chat to other people who like reading books, because none of family read books.

Interested in volunteering for your local library?

The Library Service is always seeking further friendly volunteers to get involved and we are very grateful for the support. You will be able to volunteer flexibly so that it fits with other commitments while getting the satisfaction of meeting new people and making a difference. Visit Volunteering in the library | Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead (rbwm.gov.uk)