What it’s like to be a volunteer at St Paul’s – in their own words

This week is Volunteers’ Week, and we’re celebrating the wonderful work of all our volunteers who give up their time to help us share our Cathedral with the world. 

We caught up with a few of the team to chat about what they do and why it means so much to them.

“As a volunteer I'm there as a welcoming face, ensuring attendees are in the right place and enjoying the fabulous events the team offers,” says Karen Hinton-Platt, who helps out with the St Paul’s Cathedral Institute to make sure their talks, workshops and music performances run smoothly. 

Her favourite part of volunteering here is meeting so many people. “It's a real range of regular attendees, from those who haven't been to St Paul's for many years, to those first timers who are in awe of the iconic building.” 

Veronica Myles, who volunteers with our Learning team, shares Karen’s joy. “Having been a teacher all my working life, it is a privilege to see the children's reactions to our beautiful Cathedral,” she explains. “Most of them have never visited before, and for some it is their first visit to London.” 

Some moments prove slightly more amusing than others, though, as she recalls being asked by a child: ‘What did you see in the Great Fire of London, Miss?’

 Volunteering here has many benefits, but one in particular stands out to Learning team volunteer Patricia O’Shea. “As a volunteer I was fortunate enough to attend the service for the late Queen Elizabeth’s 90th birthday service,” she tells us, calling it “a memorable occasion”. 

And for Mary Englefield, also a Learning volunteer, leading prayers from the altar on not one but two occasions was particularly meaningful. 

But one thing all of our interviewees tell us is that the day-to-day life of a volunteer is just as special. “I feel really privileged to be able to volunteer,” Karen tells us. “It's such an iconic landmark and seeing others' joy is wonderful.” 

When asked if there was a moment that would stay with her from her time here, St Paul’s Cathedral Institute volunteer Sarah Holman said it was hard to pick just one. “The excitement in the queue for "Cathedral at Night", watching people walk the labyrinth and seeing how much it means to them, plus the beautiful music and engaging talks,” she tells us. “So much of what I have been involved with has created special memories.” 

We asked the team what they would tell someone who was considering volunteering here, and there was one unanimous answer: to sign up! 

If you’d like to find out more about volunteering, head to our Volunteering page.