West Horsley Place Trust

Do you love history, stories, nature or arts and crafts?

At West Horsley Place we love to welcome people of all ages to enjoy the manor house and gardens, creating magical memories which will inspire a passion for creativity and history for a lifetime. We’re looking for volunteers to help us welcome children and families to the manor house during school holidays and weekends.

Volunteer activities in this role include:

• Meet and Greet
• Father Christmas
• Father Christmas' Elf
• Kitchen Elf (serving hot chocolate and supporting biscuit decorating)
• Christmas Decorating (in the run up to the event)
• Craft activity support
• Story reading

Key Skills and Experience

• A welcoming attitude and friendly smile
• A sense of fun and willingness to play
• Good communication skills

We are looking for festive volunteers to support our Meet Father Christmas events on Sat 6 Dec, Sun 7 Dec, Sat 13 Dec, Sun 14 Dec, Sat 20 Dec, Sun 21 Dec, Mon 22 Dec & Tue 23 Dec. Shifts are 3.5 hours in the morning or afternoon and will schedule our rosters around your availability, whether that’s a single session or multiple. 

We also have opportunities for volunteers to support activities for families and other events throughout the year. 

Training

Find out more about volunteering with us by attending a volunteer induction. This session includes an orientation of the historic manor house and an overview of available roles. Our next volunteer induction training dates are Thurs 23 Oct @ 5:30-7:30pm, Tue 18 Nov @ 5:30-7:30pm or Thurs 20 Nov @ 2-4pm.

Following your induction, additional training for family activities support will be provided. We will hold a fun through of volunteer roles for Meet Father Christmas on 5 Dec at 4-5pm.

If you would like to help but can't make these training sessions please get in touch to arrange an alternative time. 

Posted: 21/10/25

West Horsley Place is a Grade I listed mediaeval manor house and estate of great beauty and historic significance. The manor house dates from 1425, though there has been a building on site since Saxon times. Our recent work to conserve and maintain the house has made our principal rooms safe and comfortable for public access, but the house remains on Historic England's Heritage at Risk Register.  

The West Horsley Place Trust aims to bring the house, gardens, 380-acre estate and eight Grade II listed outbuildings back into good repair and to improve people's wellbeing through art, culture, heritage & nature.

We will give people freedom to explore and discover, to create stories and become part of ours. 

VISION

• To bring about a quiet revolution in the way an historic house and estate is managed
• To be a place that improves people’s wellbeing through culture, heritage and nature

MISSION

• To be sustainable, financially, environmentally and socially
• To be a catalyst for creativity
• To conserve the listed buildings in our care so that they are no longer on the Historic England ‘at risk’ register
• To provide learning and engagement opportunities in culture, heritage and nature
• To broaden our audience by being welcoming, inclusive and accessible
• To enhance the natural landscape through increasing biodiversity and habitat connectivity