It is Aberdeen’s only five-star visitor attraction and is renowned for the warmth of its welcome.
But now, the Gordon Highlanders Museum has issued a rallying cry for new recruits as it gears up for a groundbreaking New Year.
Officials recently unveiled their newly-created Moffat Trench at the site on Viewfield Road to mark the centenary of the end of the First World War.
The poignant memorial will be open to the public early next year and the museum’s chief executive, Bryan Snelling, explained yesterday why it was important to boost their volunteer numbers in the months ahead.
He said: “We are very proud of our 170-plus volunteers and the opportunities we have to volunteer throughout the museum.
“They are at the very heart of our organisation and we just couldn’t offer what we do without their support and enthusiasm.
“We have a great recruitment and induction programme to ensure they are fully equipped with the knowledge required to volunteer and to help them ease into their roles with a friendly welcome and as few problems as possible.
“The highlights for next year will be the opening of the WW1 trench in February and the development of a new website for the museum which will allow better interaction with us.
“We also have a 2019 exhibition explaining and recognising the role of National Service and the men who were involved.
“In fact, we even have a few volunteers who undertook National Service and who will be able to bring their first-hand experiences of this to support the exhibition for our visitors.”
However, the amenity’s volunteering coordinator, Aileen Macdonald, explained that those who help at the museum come from all ages and backgrounds and comprise of both men and women.
She said: “For over 20 years, volunteers have demonstrated a passion and commitment to preserving the legacy of the Gordon Highlanders regiment, using their skills and energy to make the museum what it is today.
“People can begin volunteering at fourteen years old and some carry on well into their nineties in the varied and interesting roles available.
“Museum guide volunteers enrich a visit with tales of the regiment whilst the Tea Room volunteers serve refreshing drinks and scones with a cheery word or two.
“The front of house volunteers greet everyone who comes into the museum and the education volunteers bring school projects on the First or Second World War to life.
“The garden volunteers look after the beautiful Gardens of Remembrance whereas the DIY volunteers turn their hand to many different tasks.
“Research and curatorial volunteers help the curator [Ruth Duncan] with research for the annual exhibition or to find out more about a family member.”
Anybody interested in applying should email: volunteering@gordonhighlanders.com
The curator of the Gordon Highlanders Museum, Ruth Duncan, is confident the newly-built Moffat Trench will attract significant numbers of visitors to the site when it opens on February 5.
She said: “I am really pleased with the fantastic design the architects have put together and the construction company have really pushed the boat out to make these designs a reality.
“I think the trench brings the history of the First World War to life in a way that may promote a greater understanding of what it would have been like for a soldier of this period.
“I would like to see it play an integral part in our Schools Workshop programme.
“I hope that, in the years ahead, we can add to the trench, so it can remain a thought-provoking and engaging exhibition for visitors of all ages.”
She and her colleagues are already working on plans for 2019.
