THE National Trust celebrated the work of its volunteers last weekend as part of the nationwide Make A Difference Day campaign.

The Great Country House Weekend also included drama demonstrations, dance performances and cookery presentations spread over two days.

Dunham Massey has 298 volunteers who have given 30,575 hours of their time over the past year assisting the 400,000 visitors to the estate, garden and house.

Make A Difference Day provided the opportunity for the National Trust to celebrate the work of all its volunteers, and staff were encouraging visitors to get involved.

Lucy Dickin, volunteer co-ordinator, said: "The role of a volunteer can be very different depending on their interests, skills, experience and how much free time they have.

"We have people who volunteer at a particular house or garden and help to present the history of the house to the public, we have volunteers who work in the countryside and we have people who are gaining experience in a particular field to help them with a career choice.

"There are also groups who meet up regularly at weekends to work on projects and long-term volunteers who mainly work in the countryside."

Stephen Adams, property manager, said: "The volunteers make a tremendous contribution to the work that is carried out at the property. Some of our volunteers have dedicated their time to the property for as long as twenty years and will receive long-term service awards at the end of the season. We also have younger volunteers who join us to gain experience in a specific area.

"One of our young volunteers, Georgina Ferguson, spent four months assisting the visitor services manager with a range of tasks and went on to find a full time position at the National Trust's Quarry Bank Mill in Cheshire."

The National Trust is always looking to recruit new volunteers and offers a wide range of opportunities for people who enjoy interacting with the public. Full training is provided so experience isn't necessary.

Anyone interested in volunteering at Dunham Massey or any other National Trust property should call 941 1025.