Volunteering at Heage Windmill
Heage Windmill is a charity funded organisation. We rely on volunteers for everything we do at Heage Windmill and are always keen to welcome new members to our friendly team. We offer a huge variety of roles. Help keep the sails turning and continuing to be the only six sailed stone tower mill in the UK that still mills flour.
We provide training and support for all roles and welcome people with all levels of experience. Whether you have decades of experience, want to build new skills for the workplace or simply want to meet new people or try something new please do get in touch with us.
If you wish to offer some of your spare time towards our operations, please fill out the form below and we will get back to you as soon as we can.
Thank you for considering!
Key Roles
We welcome new volunteers for all roles but are particularly keen to grow our teams in the following areas:
Windmill Tour Guides
Guided tours of the mill are around 45 minutes long. Guides start with a brief history of the mill before continuing outside where a miller will demonstrate how the sails are controlled. Visitors are then taken inside the mill where the milling process is explained. Visitor groups are a maximum of 14 people. Full training will be provided by our friendly team.
Experience working with the public will be helpful, but not essential. If you are confident to speak to small groups, and enjoy meeting people you will be ideal for this role.
Millers
The Miller has an important role, they control the turning of the sails and demonstrate the sails to the tour visitors. They are also the site manager for the day, responsible for the site when open to the public. The training programme is well established and requires a dedicated commitment to initially qualify. You can then progress further to milling flour to sell in our shop.
The work is quite physical involving lifting heavy bags and operating machinery. An understanding of mechanical systems or the ability to learn how new systems work is essential. The training is extensive and will take several months, so dedication and commitment is required. This is a very rewarding role in which you will be keeping traditional milling skills alive.
Engineering & Maintenance
These tasks are general site maintenance, mowing and hedge cutting, painting and simple joinery repairs. Mechanical maintenance of windmill gear drive machinery and specific repairs to mechanical equipment as required. Teamwork is key, there is a strong benefit to be gained from working with other like-minded people in a friendly team
This role requires practical activities and work is both indoors and outdoors. Specific skills are not essential, although if you have engineering or woodworking/DIY skills they are always useful. Any training will be provided.
The Maintenance team usually meet on Wednesdays at 10am-1pm
Social Media
Social media is an important method of attracting visitors to the Windmill. We have many events throughout the season and use social media to keep visitors up to date. Other news is also posted such as milling and flour stock. We have Facebook, Instagram and a website.
If you would like to volunteer, we would love to hear from you. This would primarily be a work from home role, at a time that suits you; but it would be great for you to feel part of the team, by occasionally visiting the windmill and meeting some of the other volunteers.
Administrative Duties
There are many administrative duties from minute taking, answering correspondence, arranging group and special visits and much more. The secretary and the chairman of the friends would love someone to help with the paperwork.
If you would like to volunteer, we would love to hear from you. This would primarily be a work from home role, at a time that suits you; but it would be great for you to feel part of the team, by occasionally visiting the windmill and meeting some of the other volunteers.
Maintained and operated by unpaid volunteers, Heage Windmill receives no direct external funding relying on the income from visitors and donations. Repairs and restoration costs are inevitably high, sometimes running into six figures. Your generous donation will help to ensure that Heage Windmill continues to provide a popular visitor experience that educates and entertains. Your donation will be used to maintain and develop a windmill where thousands of visitors each year experience life as it used to be and witness how green energy was used in a bygone era.
We are forever thankful to all our volunteers that give their spare time to the mill. No spare time but want to help? We have a Just giving page that you can donate to if you wish.