Photo by Jac Brown.
Photo by Jac Brown.
Thank you for your interest in wanting to volunteer with us here at the Lowther Pavilion Theatre & Gardens.
This booklet will give you information on what volunteer roles we have available, what is expected of you in those roles and what you can expect from us as an organisation. If a role requires training, a DBS check or information sheets providing, don’t worry as we can cover all that and any relevant costs.
Some roles, such as wanting to be a Front of House Usher are in high-demand, so if there’s no availability when you get in touch, we will add you to a waiting list.
A message from Tim, our CEO/Artistic Director:
Thank you for reading this brochure. Volunteering at Lowther helps support cultural activities right across the Fylde. Without the Volunteers giving their time we would find it difficult to stage upwards of 400 shows a year across the two venues we currently run, soon to be joined by the new Education Centre and Studio Theatre.
Volunteers are the smile that greets you and the cheery wave as you leave the venue, they are your support when you need it and a friendly face for all visitors. We pride ourselves on our Volunteering teams and in the many letters I receive the public also cherish them being on active duty. Being part of a team that delivers culture and green space to the locals and tourists alike can be a rewarding experience whist providing companionship and the opportunity to see first class performances up close.
Whether inside the Pavilion or out in the park we look forward to you joining the team.
Tim LinceWhether you’re looking to be a Front of House volunteer or interested in working with our marketing team to distribute brochures - we want to be clear with you about what you can expect from us.
When you volunteer with us, we will:
• Provide an induction to the role or any training needed.
• Support you in your role.
• If working for a longer than usual shift, such as a morning and afternoon session, we will provide you with food from the cafe
• Provide you with a branded volunteer lanyard when you are on shift when required.
• Support you to try out a new area or learn a new skill.
• Be flexible to other commitments you may have outside of your volunteering role - after all, we couldn’t do what we do without our incredible volunteers!
• Make you feel part of our friendly team.
If you’re interested in volunteering your time, then we’ve put together a list of things we ask of you:
• If you’re working as a Front of House volunteer, we ask that you attend a briefing with the Duty Manager before your shift.
• If you can no longer make a shift, we ask that you let us know as soon as you can so we can make alternative arrangements.
• Let us know if your contact details or circumstances change
• Undertake any training required to fulfil the role - for example, Spektrix training to effectively work on our Box Office.
• Be friendly and helpful to customers.
• Be friendly and support other volunteers and staff.
Please let us know of any relevant, existing medical conditions. Information will be completely confidential and will only be used in emergencies.
Photo by Jac Brown.
Our Front of House volunteers play an essential part in the life of our venue. We have a reputation for providing an exceptional level of service and pride ourselves on making every visit a positive one for all our customers.
We have a large, enthusiastic and committed group of volunteers who help with a range of front of house duties.
At a typical show you will find volunteers:
• Meeting & greeting customers.
• Scanning customer’s tickets.
• Guiding customers into the auditorium and to their seats.
• Acting as fire wardens.
• Selling snacks and soft drinks.
• Selling merchandise.
• Responding to any customer queries.
• Helping to tidy the auditorium at the end of the performance.
• We hold regular outdoor festivals and events, supported by volunteers. You can expect to be:
• Welcoming visitors to the park.
• Handing out leaflets.
• Signposting locations.
• Helping with outdoor shows and activities.
As a Front of House or Outdoor Event volunteer we ask for regular commitment with an agreement to cover a range of shows and events throughout the year. In return you will receive:
• The opportunity to earn credits towards volunteer rewards.
• The opportunity to get involved in your local theatre and contribute to the continuing success of venue.
• Training and support to enable you to carry out your duties with confidence.
• Support at every show and event from a Duty Manager who leads and supports the team on duty.
• Invitations to regular social events, where we celebrate the input, commitment and enthusiasm of our volunteers.
• The offer of free tickets to selected shows.
Our Box Office is one of our key areas as interactions here are often the first point of contact with the theatre.
By ensuring all of our customers receive an efficient and friendly service, we help to ensure that our valued customers return again and again.
As a Box Office Volunteer, you will:
• Provide a friendly welcome to our venue to all customers and building users.
• Effectively deal will general enquiries.
• Work closely with all members of our team (both staff and volunteers)
• Provide an efficient Box Office sale service operating our computerised ticket system (Spektrix).
• Sell merchandise and hot drinks when required.
• Issue Care of Box Office tickets on matinee/evening shows and troubleshoot any problems.
• Handle cash and process card transactions and reconcile takings at the end of your shift.
• Input and update the database to ensure records are accurate and maintained.
• Be knowledgeable about the shows and events we have coming up.
• Be familiar with our membership schemes and promote the benefits of joining.
As a Box Office Volunteer, you will receive:
• A taster training session on our Box Office system and then one-to-one buddy training with a more experienced member of our team.
• Support from other members of staff
• Flexible opportunities to work on Box Office that with your schedule.
• And of course, all the other benefits of volunteering with us!
Our backstage team really are the wheels of any production, be it making sure an act is seen or heard onstage and that the cinema screenings go up on time.
As a Technical Volunteer, you can get involved with being a:
• Cinema Projectionist
• Follow Spot Operator
• Stage Manager
• LX/Sound Shadowing
What you can expect from us:
• Training and guidance provided by us and the in-house technical team
• The chance to learn new skills
If you’re not sure what some of these technical roles entail, we’ve broken them down in a bit more detail below.
This position entails being responsible for making sure our afternoon cinema screenings happen without an issue. From using our in-house projector, to turning on a sound desk and making sure the customer experience is top notch.
This position in a nutshell is pointing a large light at a stage and following someone with it - honestly, it’s a little bit more involved than that, but essentially when some acts arrive at our venue they need one or two of our follow spots to aid in the lighting of their show, so you will get to work with in-house team and also external technicians coming into the space to make a show happen.
Every show relies on good timing and having the right people in the right place at the right time. This is essentially the job of the Stage Manager who we have in post on a regular basis with
every incoming professional show to ensure that bar bells are pressed to make sure customers are in their seats for the start of the show.
It’s also making sure that the technicians in the control room have an idea of what’s going on from the stage perspective and also making sure everyone is safely away from the stage if there is an issue.
On occasion, there is opportunity to run and operate the sound or lighting consoles for a show. We actively encourage our technical volunteers to be as versatile as possible, which is a great position to be in, especially given the nature of live shows!
We have a small but dedicated team of volunteers who don’t mind turning their hands to help keep our building together.
While this role is on an occasional basis and only when jobs arise, we rely on this team to ensure small maintenance jobs get completed.
We know that some jobs require professional help, but for smaller jobs we like to offer these to people who may get some benefit and satisfaction from being involved.
As a DIY/Operational Volunteer, you will help with:
• Painting, decorating and touch-up jobs such as window frames.
• Help with the maintenance and painting of outdoor garden benches.
• Help with small joinery and carpentry jobs.
Since launching Lowther Creatives in 2021 with two youth theatre groups a week, we’ve increased the number of participation sessions we offer.
We now deliver nine weekly sessions and one monthly session, giving people of all ages a safe space to learn new skills, gain confidence and make new connections.
Regular Groups
Little Lowther
• Last Thursday of the month, 10am - 11.30am (Ages 0 - 4 & parent/carer)
Children’s Theatre Workshop
• Mondays 4pm - 5.30pm (Ages 4 - 6)
Youth Theatre
• Saturdays, 9.30am - 11am (Ages 6 - 10)
• Saturdays, 11am - 1pm (Ages 11 - 18)
• Saturdays, 1.30pm - 3pm (Ages 6 - 10)
Home Ed Drama
For children and young people not in mainstream school
• Mondays, 11am - 12.30pm (Ages 4 - 6)
• Wednesdays, 11am - 12.30pm (Ages 6 - 10)
• Wednesdays, 9.30am - 11am (Ages 10 - 16)
• Mondays, 2pm - 3.30pm (Ages 14 - 18)
Adult Theatre
• Mondays, 6pm - 7.45pm (Ages 18+)
In addition, we carry out regular work with schools and local community groups. We are a HAF Provider for Fylde, delivering creative activity with food for families in need of support in the Easter, Summer and Christmas holidays.
Lowther is an Arts Award Centre. This is a nationally recognised qualification for 5-25 year olds.
Discussions are also taking place regarding further provision for children and young people with additional needs.
As a Lowther Creatives volunteer, you can expect to:
• Assist our Youth Theatre Director/Education Officer with setting up, clearing and running of workshops
• If comfortable, join in with workshops
• Help to create an encouraging atmosphere for young participants taking part.
• What you can expect from us: We’ll pay for an enhanced DBS check if you don’t already have a valid one.
Marketing plays a big role in showcasing what our venue has to offer as a destination - whether it’s a show being performed on our stage or an activity out in our gardens.
Despite what many people may think, marketing isn’t just sticking up posters and posting to social media - it’s all about analysing customer data, identifying target audiences and working on a plan as to how you can most proactively and efficiently reach them. For example, if your target audience is young musicians, one avenue to explore would be to collaborate with local music venues to tap into their audiences.
As a marketing volunteer, you can help with:
• Distributing printed collateral such as brochures, flyers and posters to local businesses.
• Distributing printed collateral at outdoor events such as Summer outdoor theatre or one of our free-to-enter festivals.
• Suggest ways to potentially expand our distribution reach (for example, a certain shop or other business we may not have thought of).
Our 12.5 acre garden is full of interesting facts, history and activities. This historic green space, originally opened in 1872 as a gift to the people and visitors of Lytham by John Talbot, plays an important role in our programming.
Not only are our gardens home to free-to-enter family festivals throughout the year, outdoor theatre performances, and drive-in cinema screenings, but visitors can also take part in Crown Green Bowling, mini-golf, tennis and paddle tennis. In 2023, we also launched a free garden activity pack, which was designed in house by our Marketing Assistant Steph Windross.
To help visitors learn more about our gardens, we’re looking for outgoing and friendly volunteers to help us share more information about our gardens.
As a Garden Guide, you can expect to:
• Lead small group tours around our gardens.
• Explain more about some of the 250 plants and flowers we have and why.
• Learn about what does well in our gardens and what doesn’t.
• Find out ingredients were used in our Centenary Gin.
What you can expect from us:
• Full training with support from our Gardeners Rob and Callum.
• Information sheets for reference on guide routes, specific plants and key facts.
• We’ll pay for a DBS check.
Photo by Jac Brown.
What do I need to wear?
Black, smart clothing and comfortable shoes unless advised otherwise.
How do I book shifts?
Once approved for Front of House, you will be given access to our volunteer system. Here, you’ll be able to request Front of House shifts for all shows. Please note that places are limited and not guaranteed for specific shows.
All other departments are to be booked directly via the relevant department.
How long is each shift?
Depends on show or event.
What happens if I need to cancel a shift?
Please contact our Box Office on boxoffice@lowtherpavilion.co.uk or 01253 794221 and also email the relevant department.
How will I know I have a shift?
You will receive an email notification from either the Volunteer website (if it’s a Front of House shift) or Rotacloud for all other requests.
Will I have to handle cash?
You may be asked to cash up (Box Office) and oversee a donation bucket (Front of House).
What are the benefits of volunteering with us?
Remain active and social, help a charitable cause, enjoy the shows you volunteer for, membership benefits and social events.
Can I volunteer in different areas?
Yes - we are happy to help develop opportunities for you in different departments. Just let us know what your interests are.
Photo by Jac Brown.
Tim Lince CEO/Artistic Director tim@lowtherpavilion.co.uk
Colin Alexander Administrator administrator@lowtherpavilion.co.uk
Dan Creasey Technical Manager technical@lowtherpavilion.co.uk
Simon Miller Venue Technician simon@lowtherpavilion.co.uk
Janet Morgan Volunteer Co-ordinator janet@lowtherpavilion.co.uk
Kerry Tuhill Education Officer kerry@lowtherpavilion.co.uk
Keith Robinson Finance Manager keith@lowtherpavilion.co.uk
Pasthanamont Lewis Finance Assistant pat@lowtherpavilion.co.uk
Adam Pearce Bar & Events Manager bar@lowtherpavilion.co.uk
Anthony Price Head of Marketing marketing@lowtherpavilion.co.uk
Steph Windross Marketing Assistant Steph@lowtherpavilion.co.uk
boxoffice@lowtherpavilion.co.uk
01253 794221
West Beach, Lytham St Annes, FY8 5QQ
Updated Friday 15 March 2024