The Ouseburn valley was one of the cradles of the Industrial Revolution on Tyneside and still retains many fascinating aspects of Tyneside’s history including the Victoria Tunnel, the listed warehouses on Lime Street and the route of Hadrian’s Wall. The Ouseburn Trust have been running tours of the Victoria Tunnel since 2010 and a summer walks programme for many years. In 2019 the Trust developed the new 90-minute Back to the Future guided walk, incorporating fascinating stories based on the Valley’s rich heritage and regeneration initiatives.

The role will involve

• Meeting and welcoming visitors (12 per tour), checking booking lists and taking any payments on the day.
• Working in pairs to lead a tour of the Valley via a set route explaining the history, heritage and regeneration projects in the area with the aid of printed support materials.
• Monitoring and observing the health and safety requirements of the tour, particularly in areas with busy traffic.

Volunteers will need:

• Passion for heritage and history of the North East
• Experience of, and enthusiasm for, engaging with people
• Excellent communication, organisational and presentation skills
• The ability to work as part of a team
• Access to email for tour planning

Training provided

Volunteers will undergo a training programme and be given full support by the existing Volunteer Guides and Trust staff. 

Training provided

Volunteers will undergo a training programme and be given full support by the existing Volunteer Guides and Trust staff. 

Time required

Guides will be required to volunteer for two and a half hours at a time, although tours will generally last 90 minutes. Tours run every Saturday morning throughout the year starting at 10.30 and at other times for privately booked groups. Once trained the preference would be for Guides to lead tours regularly, preferably once every three to four weeks. A willingness to step in at short notice is very much appreciated.

Register your interest as a volunteer