Paul Everitt reflects upon volunteering across the borough ahead of the 1940s Candlelit Tour at Forty Hall; a production featuring a team of dedicated volunteers at the Hall.
'Tending the gardens, welcoming the audience, creating and organising wonderful events, chaperoning our young people, supporting our disabled participants, ensuring our programmes reflect the whole community - there would be no Culture In Enfield without our army of dedicated and loyal volunteers.
There's something magical in the heart of our volunteers. I don't know whether it's their active desire to contribute to making their community a better place, their passion for the place or activity they are supporting, their love of communicating with neighbours that they've never met before or simply a desire to do something different. Whatever the inspiration is that drives these wondrous individuals what they all have in common is a force of positivity.
When I enter the gates of Forty Hall in North Enfield or Millfield Arts Centre in Edmonton, which I do most days, I always feel a rush of joy at the beauty of magnificent historic buildings set in loved and tendered landscapes. They are peaceful places rich in history and bursting with creativity. At the centre of that creativity our volunteers are pruning the shrubs, planting the bulbs and seeds that will grow and bloom into flowers in a future season, removing the weeds that are choking growth and shaping borders to create beautiful views. They pick up the litter that those that don't care have carelessly discarded in the lawns and the flowerbeds and lovingly restore beauty and tranquility back to its proper place.
On most days at Forty Hall over the last 25 years you may have seen a man gently encouraging and coaching others how to run across Enfield's most magnificent landscape. He does it voluntarily with only the desire to help others lead active and healthy lives.
As this magazine lands on coffee tables a woman will be putting the final touches on the Enfield Christmas Parade of Lights. She volunteers at many Enfield events whether it's raising money for charity at the Enfield Town Show whilst providing tea hosted by the Mayor or providing sustenance at the Mayor's Fun Run. Her simple desire is to bring the community together to have a positive shared experience whilst raising funds for a greater good.
As you enter the building at Millfield Theatre you are greeted by men and women from all walks of life who are ensuring the environment is safe and above all friendly and welcoming. They've checked that the aisles are clear of obstructions, they have practised an evacuation in case of emergency so that they can get you out of the building safely in under 2 minutes, they will show you to your seat and ask you politely not to record or photograph the show. These volunteers want you to have a wonderful time and they want you to come back again and again and be part of the Millfield family.
At Forty Hall a group of volunteers are imagining a bygone era and bringing it back to life in the famous Candlelight Tours. They've done their research, they've hunted for costumes in charity shops and customised them. They've rehearsed for weeks to get it just right and they're ready to bring history alive for the residents of Enfield to help them better understand their past to ensure a brighter future.
Right across Enfield volunteers are making magical things happen in all sorts of places - at Talkies Community Cinema in Palmers Green, at Chickenshed in Cockfosters, at Face Front Inclusive Theatre in Edmonton Green and in Parks, Sports Clubs, Dance Schools and community centre's in every corner of the borough.
Our volunteers are magnificent community heroes who care deeply about their community and strive to ensure that that community has culture at its heart. If you'd like to join us we'd welcome you with open arms.'
If you are interested in volunteering here at Forty Hall. Have a look here.