Volunteers
Volunteer with Goldfinch
Why are we taking on volunteers?
To be frank, keeping Goldfinch alive is a tough gig in the current economic climate, and Alton is telling us how much of a community asset the shop is, offering a safe space and a doorway to the arts, literature, community and culture for everyone, and we are convinced that this is important in our little town.
So, to keep the lights on, as they say, we rely on the hard work and dedication firstly of the family members both on the shop floor and behind the scenes who work for the love of it, our creative leads in music, literature, art and writing, and then on the few paid staff who go above and beyond for the love of all things Goldfinch, and finally, most importantly, on the loyalty, passion and friendship offered by our customers - all those who buy books, coffee, or attend our events.
Since we opened the shop in 2022, we have had many offers of volunteers but have previously not had the structure and organisation to take on such support, but this is changing and we are now creating specific and focused volunteering roles for particular needs.
What is a volunteer?
As a volunteer, you will essentially be an employee of Goldfinch, with all the legal, training and safety provisions afforded to any other employee. Training will likely include a range of things including working the tills, the cafe equipment, the bookselling tools, safety at work, etc.
Some roles may be specifically aimed at elements such as the audio visual equipment, or helping run events for example. Others may be concerned with development of systems, tools or processes. Some will be regular hours and some will be ad-hoc as required.
What kind of people are we looking for?
All kinds. We believe that the more diverse our team, the greater the benefit to the business, our customers and community. We want people who measure success in the same way we do, in terms of the number of people’s lives we manage to enrich through our business, not in terms of profits.
We also want people who will benefit from the experience in terms of the enjoyment in the work, being part of the Goldfinch community, and learning things beneficial to their career aspirations. Of course, a passion for books, community, the arts, music, gaming or a mixture of these will be advantageous to help us reach the widest possible range of people with our open door to creative endeavours and creative thinking of all varieties.
What do we offer in return?
We will commit to support you to make the best of the role, including providing appropriate training, guidance and mentorship.
We will provide a defined job role, hours and job description that are clear on the specific expectations and opportunities of the role. We are not taking on ‘general’ volunteers, we are looking to fill particular needs, so the job descriptions will be specific and clear, and you can then be confident to refer to your experience at Goldfinch on your CV and when looking for opportunities in the future.
All volunteers will benefit from staff discount of 10% off everything.
Current Roles
Audio-Visual Support Volunteers
(3 roles)
Our events programme is key to our vision for community engagement. The equipment, some provided by funding from EHDC through their Rural Grants Programme, and some provided in-house by Goldfinch, is a highly specified digital AV system for live music, film, talks, and presentations with the facility to record (see YouTube for example recordings of events). At Goldfinch we are licensed for live music performance (PPL/PRS), recorded music broadcast in the shop and public showing of films.
We are looking to build an AV team to help with the technology, including set up, management, and processing recordings from our live events. We anticipate that a pool of people may grow and together help us manage the AV systems to achieve the highest quality sound and visuals for performances, to capture digital audio and video recordings, to post-process (we use DaVinci Resolve) and to manage our YouTube channel. We anticipate a number of volunteers sharing this role, each working different events and different aspects, learning from each other and from the sound and video engineers already working at Goldfinch. The role we expect would suit people studying or thinking of studying audio visual, media or performance and/or looking to gain some hands-on experience. You might be a University or College student with time through the summer, or regular time available for evening events, or for working at home post-processing recordings. Whatever your experience and background, if this sounds interesting, get in touch.
The Role
Set up and break down for events (PA, mixer, monitors, lighting, video cameras, video recording, microphones) including:
Allen & Heath CQ18T Digital Mixer with front of house 12” speakers & DBT 10” stage monitors, DI boxes, mics etc
Lighting rig and controller
3 x Blackmagic Pocket 4k Video system with Atem Mini Pro
BenQ Projector & Screen
Report to and support the sound engineer, lighting engineer and/or video engineer during events; support the artists/authors/speakers in set up and preparation
Take recorded material for processing and editing in DaVinci Resolve and upload to YouTube channel (if approved) and/or develop clips for social media
Hours and Commitment - depends on candidate - hours flexible and shared between volunteers
Evening events (typically monthly live music, live poetry, author talks, jam nights, comedy) - 5pm til 11pm
Processing and editing - hours and approach to suit volunteer (eg with software loaded on to volunteer computer, or on Goldfinch computer if appropriate)
Learning & development with systems and software online may be done at any time/ place
The Reward
Become part of the Goldfinch family
Training. Learn how to use the kit and implement in a live environment with support from others.
Free access to all Goldfinch events: live music, poetry, author events etc - get to meet industry artists and professionals
10% off everything in the shop, always, whilst in the role
Build your experience in live events, technology and editing in the coolest place in town!
APPLICATION
To apply, just send an email to Gary on gary@goldfinch-books.com describing why you are interested in the role, what you would aim to get out of it, and what you would bring to it. Alternatively, arrange a chat with Gary to talk it through in more detail. There is no specific deadline. Start date could be immediate or could be in a couple of month’s time, depending on circumstances. We hope to take on a number of people to share these roles and work together with the Goldfinch team.
Role AV1 - Open
Role AV2 - Open
Role AV3 - Open
Event Support Volunteers
(6 roles)
SHORT CUTS FILM CLUB
(2 roles - EV1 & EV2)
The Role
Set up and break down for monthly film club (PA, mixer, projector, screen)
6pm til 9pm once per month
Manage cafe/ bar sales throughout the evening
Support film club lead
Close down cafe/bar and shop at the end of the night
The REWARD
Become part of the Goldfinch family
Free access to all Goldfinch film nights - get to meet industry artists and professionals and watch great short films once a month
10% off everything in the shop, always, whilst in the role
Build your experience in film showings in the coolest place in town!
POEtry Night Support
(2 roles - EV3 & EV4)
The Role
Set up and break down for monthly poetry night (PA, mixer, microphone)
6pm til 10:00pm once per month
Manage cafe/ bar sales throughout the evening
Support poetry night host and guest artist
Close down cafe/bar and shop at the end of the night
Application
To apply, just send an email to Gary on gary@goldfinch-books.com describing why you are interested in the role, what you would aim to get out of it, and what you would bring to it. Alternatively, arrange a chat with Gary to talk it through in more detail. There is no specific deadline. Start date could be immediate or could be in a couple of month’s time, depending on circumstances.
The REWARD
Become part of the Goldfinch family
Free access to all Goldfinch poetry nights - get to meet industry artists and professionals and experience great live poetry
10% off everything in the shop, always, whilst in the role
Build your experience in events in the coolest place in town!
Application
To apply, just send an email to Gary on gary@goldfinch-books.com describing why you are interested in the role, what you would aim to get out of it, and what you would bring to it. Alternatively, arrange a chat with Gary to talk it through in more detail. There is no specific deadline. Start date could be immediate or could be in a couple of month’s time, depending on circumstances.
GAMING Night Support
(2 roles - EV5 & EV6)
The Role
Set up and break down for weekly D&D night (furniture)
7pm til 10:30pm once per week
Manage cafe/ bar sales throughout the evening
Support D&D lead
Close down cafe/bar and shop at the end of the night
The REWARD
Become part of the Goldfinch family
Free access to all Goldfinch gaming nights
10% off everything in the shop, always, whilst in the role
Build your experience in managing club events in the coolest place in town!
Application
To apply, just send an email to Gary on gary@goldfinch-books.com describing why you are interested in the role, what you would aim to get out of it, and what you would bring to it. Alternatively, arrange a chat with Gary to talk it through in more detail. There is no specific deadline. Start date could be immediate or could be in a couple of month’s time, depending on circumstances.