Volunteering at the Cathedral

The Transitional Cathedral depends on the goodwill and support of its many volunteers. The gift of time by volunteers keeps the Cathedral open to city visitors every day. Volunteers welcome those who come to see this award winning building, to hear its story of innovation and hope and to learn about the sustainable architectural design and energy conservation it brings to the city rebuild landscape.

Cathedral volunteers enjoy the variety of being in a workplace where one day is never the same as the last. Visitors may be travellers from many parts of the world, or local people from Canterbury.  Volunteers like hearing the travel stories of tourists who visit, others enjoy giving a guided tour to a group of schoolchildren working on a study project, or welcoming visitors to a Cathedral concert.

The Cathedral has a diverse culture of volunteers. Some are students, others retired from paid work enjoying active involvement in the Cathedral and its community engagement. Increasingly, the Cathedral offers much needed volunteer work opportunities for migrant and new settlers to the city. It is a place where volunteers get to know each other, practise language skills through their conversations and make lasting friendships. The Cathedral has a retail shop that relies on volunteer staff who find this experience helpful, developing retail and customer service skills and increasing their confidence. Volunteers looking for paid work receive encouragement to do this as there is support for those new to Christchurch finding their way here.

The gardening team works outside the Cathedral developing and maintaining beautiful gardens that attract awards each year. For those who like to work outside this is a great choice and the gardeners are a friendly group of volunteers to be part of.

Whether it is helping to arrange flowers in the Cathedral, or assisting with worship services, or having a conversation with visitors, volunteers are part of all that is going on in a vibrant Cathedral community that faces the city and welcomes its visitors every day of the year. We remember each volunteer with thanks for who they are and all they do to support the Cathedral.

If you're interested in becoming a volunteer working with the Transitional Cathedral's visitors, it would be good to hear from you. Please contact Nicky Lee, Volunteer Manager.