Fiona Cariss, Civic Engagement Manager at the Whitworth, explores how family volunteering is helping more people feel part of civic life.
Across our city there’s a group of people, often unnoticed, quietly supporting our most valued charities, community projects and free cultural venues. These brilliant volunteers give their time to help others, supporting events, caring for people, maintaining green spaces, serving food at shelters, and sorting and distributing donations — the list goes on.
At the Whitworth, volunteers of all ages assist in supporting our workshops, welcome visitors, help look after our gardens, care and catalogue our valuable collections and take part in placements and work experience for various projects. I’ve been working as a Volunteer Manager for over 15 years, and I’ve spent more than a decade at the Whitworth running our Volunteer and Civic Engagement Programme. Across all our opportunities, family volunteering has become one of the most joyful and impactful strands.
In 2017, whilst I was on maternity leave, I wanted to support my local community hub at Stretford Public Hall. My major barrier? I had a six-month-old baby! The Hall were amazing and said I could bring her along, so I volunteered with her beside me while I assisted on reception for their Wellbeing
Tuesday sessions.
This personal experience crystallised something that the volunteer sector’s research has consistently shown: time and caregiving responsibilities are among the biggest barriers to volunteering. In national data, ‘not wanting to make an ongoing commitment’ tops the list at 33%, while ‘looking after children’ is cited by around 22%, everyday constraints many families feel.
When I returned to the gallery, it made sense to include the opportunity for volunteers to bring children along, especially during our successful Early Years and Family Programme. At first, it was mums bringing their babies while helping during our Art Baby workshops; but it quickly grew into something broader, more inclusive, and opened our programme to all ages of volunteers.
In July 2018 we recruited 65 volunteers for our summer PLAYTIME programme, including the launch of Family Volunteering, roles that explicitly welcome people to volunteer alongside their families. We saw our first baby-to-teenager volunteers getting involved; learning to welcome other families and engaging their peers in activities through play. Our volunteer roles for families are designed around open-ended play, short shifts, and clear, practical tasks from friendly welcomes to assisting artists, collecting feedback, and photographing sessions.
From the very first summer, the feedback was special:
“The fact that you opened up the volunteering opportunities to include those of us with babies and children was great, getting out and about and chatting to other parents has been so good for my mental wellbeing! Being on maternity leave can often feel quite isolating with only a tiny person to chat to, especially when so many activities stop over the summer. I genuinely looked forward to each volunteering shift and knowing how welcoming and supportive everyone at The Whitworth was, it never felt difficult being there with a little baby!” -Lindsay and Olive, Whitworth Family Volunteers
“I was happy to join this Summer with my son to volunteer, both of us. I think is a brilliant opportunity for young people and parents to do something together, learning how to work with others in a group is so important. Aiden has done different volunteering at Central Library, and it is a great experience. We love the good energy and people, they are all very friendly and everyone likes the arts, so it is easy to chat with them.” – Silvia and Aiden
“I am truly grateful for the wonderful opportunity to volunteer during the summer holidays with my children. They looked forward to each session, their excitement never fading, gaining confidence while working alongside other children and adults. Their anticipation for each session was a reminder of how meaningful these shared experiences can be. It was a joy to see so many families gather in the Art Garden, discovering and painting – creating beautiful pictures and even more beautiful memories that will last well beyond the summer.” – Natalia, Max and Vinny
One of the greatest joys of being a volunteer manager is seeing how individuals’ confidence grows, parents or caregivers on maternity leave and teenagers tell us they feel less isolated and more connected. I have seen young people learn teamwork, responsibility and grow alongside each other and then transfer those skills to school and future work.
Volunteering rates have not yet returned to pre-pandemic levels, but by removing the most common barriers (time, childcare, and cost) and wrapping volunteering around the reality of family life, we can invite a new wave of civic participation that is joyful and inclusive.
At the Whitworth we’ve seen how families volunteering together create art, welcome others, and weave community. Their contributions might look small, but the impact is large. Confidence is gained and friendships are made.
If you want to explore roles that fit your family’s rhythm, come and say hello. There are lots of ways to get involved, from one-off PLAY days to regular workshops, we’d love to help you find the right fit.
As we gear up to another year of exciting and thought-provoking exhibitions at the Whitworth we’ll be looking to recruit more volunteers, especially our Family Volunteers ready for our PLAYTIME activities this August inspired by our Hyundai Translocal Series: Entangled and Woven exhibition, which you can find out more about via our website.
I’m also excited about a new major solo exhibition by Delaine Le Bas, following her recent nomination for the 2024 Turner Prize. Delaine will be including works, in her Un-Fair-Ground show, by our long-term partners Venture Arts and some of their brilliant local artists (who also volunteer with us!), plus neuro-diversity-friendly tours by our excellent Artist in Residence Sally Hirst and lots of other great events throughout the run of the show.
I would also recommend marking in your diaries Beneath the Great Wave: Hokusai, Hiroshige, and ukiyo-e print which is the gallery’s first exhibition dedicated to Japanese prints in over 100 years. It’s going to be a great year of exhibitions and events and whether you can volunteer or not we look forward to welcoming you at the Whitworth soon!
To find out more about volunteering, and register your interest here.
