A MAJOR North East tourist attraction and astronomical charity is appealing for more volunteers at the much-loved facility.
Kielder Observatory, in Northumberland, which relies on a myriad of volunteers to deliver its many events, is hosting an Open Day on Sunday August 4, where astronomy fans can find out more about the charity and what it offers to eager star gazers across the country.
The observatory holds more than 700 events a year which attract up to 20,000 visitors to its base set in the largest gold tier dark sky park in Europe, in the beautiful Kielder Forest.
As a public outreach facility, it also sends its astronomers and volunteers into schools and other organisations to share the special Kielder magic and encourage people from a wide range of backgrounds to be inspired by the galaxy and dark skies.
Volunteering roles at the charity vary from helping with teas and coffees at events, to showing guests around the observatory. More than 30 volunteers recently gathered with cleaning equipment, gardening tools, and paintbrushes to give the observatory a makeover as part of its summer solstice maintenance week. Some volunteers are so passionate about astronomy they end up working for the charity.
“Kielder Observatory means such a lot to the people who come here, and we wouldn’t be where we are today without our army of enthusiastic volunteers, who play an essential role in its upkeep and running.
“No experience is necessary; we only ask that they have a passion for astronomy and a curiosity for learning more. People can get as involved as they want. Some people come regularly and others once every six months.”
Dan Monk, director of astrophotography and volunteer manager at Kielder Observatory
Dan said it would be good to hear from people who wanted to volunteer alongside their studies. Many members of staff on the Kielder team, including himself, started out as volunteers.
“Our Open Day will give people the chance to see the observatory and meet the team with an opportunity to ask questions and get to know more about us,”
Dan added
For more information on the volunteering event log onto: https://kielderobservatory.org/our-events/all/volunteer-open-day-2-details
