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Have you picked up one of the paper bags in our gift shop? It may well have been printed by Dan, our Winterbourne Press volunteer who joined us in October. But what’s it like volunteering at the press? Dan shares all, plus offers a sneak peek of some upcoming projects.
I started volunteering at Winterbourne in last year. I primarily volunteered because – on a visit to the Winterbourne Printing Press with my partner and his mother in the summer of 2022 – a friendly volunteer explained what he did and why he volunteered. We found out about the various printers and techniques, as well as the value of the social contact with colleagues and the public. I was impressed, so in October 2022, I decided it was the right time for me to apply and was able to offer four hours a week of my time.
As well as gaining new knowledge and practical experience using the Imperial Press to print paper bags for the shop, I also feel the experience has helped with any social isolation I was experiencing at the time. Plus, I love meeting people. So, a big thank you to Winterbourne for welcoming me and looking after all us volunteers!
My next project is to start creating a soundscape of the different sounds of the Winterbourne Press to help bring the area to life, along with photography – and, of course, welcoming you all to this wonderful mini museum we have on site.
Dan, along with the other printing press volunteers have been busy printing beautiful new items for our gift shop, including a gift bag and pack of notecards.
You can find out more about the Winterbourne Press here.
