Stewards

Stewarding at services and concerts usually takes place in the evening or at a weekend and involves looking after the welcome, comfort, and safety of the congregation or audience at services or events. This can be done regularly or on an ad-hoc basis.

Minster Gardens Volunteers

Across the Minster precinct we have many green spaces and our Minster Gardens Volunteers help in them all. They help with gardening tasks such as care of the sensory garden, rewilding projects, and more. The team currently meet on Thursday mornings (weather dependent).

Flower Arrangers

Our stablished team of volunteer flower Arranger contribute with the creation and display of floral arrangements across the Minster at the Direction of the Head Flower Arranger. Their pieces enhance the welcome and worship of visitors and worshippers and if you are willing to learn or share your skills you can get involved in a creative team!

Undercroft Museum and Information Desk

The Undercroft volunteers engage the public with the collection in our accredited museum and our Information Desk Stewards answer visitors' questions at the Information Point in the Minster. Each role has a rota with two-hour time slots throughout the week.

Minster Chaplains

Our Minster Chaplains provide a pastoral presence in the Minster each day for any who wish to talk. They also take brief hourly prayers and lead an act of worship at midday. The Chaplains dedicate a day to the Minster and can experience leading the prayers and worship in a cathedral.

Servers

Our Minster Servers assist in the worship of the cathedral by performing specific duties during services. These can include the Crucifer who carries the processional cross, the Taperers who carry candles in the procession and the Thurifer who, at some services, carries and swings the Thurible emitting incense.

Bell Ringers

York Minster has the fourth heaviest set of change ringing bells in the world and they are rung by our band of volunteer bell-ringers. Change ringing is a traditional English art form, with the aim to ring the bells in an even rhythm. Ringers can learn ever-more complex patterns in order to ring the bells in a different, pre-prescribed number of changes. So as well as being physical exercise, it is a good mental challenge too. Practice nights are on Tuesday evenings, with ringing starting on Sunday at 9am ahead of the main service.

Library, Archive and Collections Volunteer

The Old Palace Library and Archives has several volunteer roles. These include collections care volunteers, library shelving volunteers, and archive projects. Tasks can range from cataloguing to light collections care, object handling and more.

Guides

From our Session Guides who spend half a day in the Minster, to our Scheduled Guides who lead tours each volunteer brings the Minster to life with enthusiasm and expertise. All Guides at the Minster must complete a Guides Training Course, please contact volunteering@yorkminster.org to find out when the next course is running.

Minster Mice Helpers and Sunday School

Our Minster Mice Helpers assist with pre-school aged services welcoming families and young children to sing songs, hear a Bible story, say a prayer, and share refreshments and crafts. Minster Mice Services meet Wednesday mornings during term time. Our Sunday School Helpers help educate and nurture the children and young people at the Minster. Leaders also help plan and lead the sessions