Celebrating volunteering during a Summer of Appreciation

Storyhouse, in partnership with Cheshire West Voluntary Action (CWVA) and five other charities, is leading a Summer of Appreciation project, working with the wider community sector to recognise and celebrate volunteers for the significant contribution they make in local communities.

Not only will the Summer of Appreciation showcase the work of volunteers locally, but it will also help make social connections between volunteers from different organisations, and build stronger partnerships.

It aligns with the Vision for Volunteering (2025-30) in Cheshire West, particularly the key theme of making volunteers feel ‘appreciated’.

As part of the Summer of Appreciation, the following six community sector organisations are offering free events to volunteers, thanking them for all they do. Bookings will open on Saturday 23 May, and this page will be updated as more events are added so please check back frequently for the latest opportunities.

Canal and River Trust

• National Waterways Museum – Tuesday 7 July
• National Waterways Museum – Wednesday 8 July
• National Waterways Museum – Thursday 9 July
• National Waterways Museum – Friday 10 July
• National Waterways Museum – Saturday 11 July

Chester Cathedral

• Tower Tour with refreshments – Wednesday 3 June
• Tower Tour with refreshments – Wednesday 10 June
• Tower Tour with refreshments – Wednesday 17 June
• Tower Tour with refreshments – Wednesday 24 June
• Discovery Tour with refreshments – Wednesday 15 July
• Discovery Tour with refreshments – Wednesday 22 July
• Discovery Tour with refreshments – Wednesday 29 July

Chester Zoo

• Tour of Chester Zoo – Thursday 30 July

English Heritage

• Tour of Chester Castle – Wednesday 24 June
• Tour of Chester Castle – Wednesday 1 July

RSPB Burton Mere

• Guided walk across the wetlands – Wednesday 10 June

Storyhouse

• Behind-the-scenes tour – Monday 15 June
• Behind-the-scenes tour – Sunday 28 June
• Behind-the-scenes tour – Thursday 16 July
• Behind-the-scenes tour – Wednesday 29 July
• Grosvenor Park cinema screening – Monday 24 August

Emma Savage, Volunteer Manager at Storyhouse, said: “We’re really pleased to have brought together such an amazing group of partners for this collaborative project, recognising volunteers across Cheshire West and the incredible contributions they make.

“Volunteers make such a huge difference in our local communities – we’d be lost without them – so it’s important we take the time to thank them not just through projects like this, but all year round.

“I’d like to thank the six organisations that are offering amazing events for volunteers to attend for free.”

Eligibility criteria for events

• You must be an active volunteer with a CWVA member organisation
• You must bring a letter from your volunteer manager, or a volunteer ID card, badge or pass
• Volunteers only – no plus ones unless the volunteer needs a parent or carer to attend with them

All experiences are strictly limited in capacity and allocated on a first come, first served basis. Once a session is full, no further bookings can be taken.

Please note that bookings for all events are being managed by CWVA through Plinth, and your personal data will be shared with the organisation running the event. You can access a full privacy policy should you wish to find out more about how your data will be used.