Thank you to all our volunteers

This Volunteers’ Week we want to say a huge thank-you to all our amazing volunteers. The Historical Association – now nearly 120 years old – could not continue to exist and to provide ‘history of all, for all’ without you.

Volunteers form all of our committees and working groups, run our branches around the UK, organise historical talks and events, deliver CPD and short courses, speak at our annual conference, judge our competitions, write articles, edit our outstanding journals, and create high-quality learning resources. We are privileged to work with so many passionate and dedicated volunteers and we are deeply grateful to you all.

And if you don’t yet volunteer for the HA, please think about whether you could offer your time or expertise – there are so many ways to get involved. Volunteering for something you care about is a highly rewarding experience. This is what some of our volunteers have said makes it all worthwhile:

Christine Counsell (Teaching History editor, Conference speaker)  
I have always read lots of history scholarship, so the Historical Association was another way to stay connected and carry on being a reader of history. Then I got dragged into being chair of the secondary committee of the Historical Association relatively soon after I discovered it, and from then on I’ve been passionate about everything it does, and I’ve always said, “Ask not what it does for you, but ask what you can do for it.” I feel quite passionate that we should serve the Association. 

Peter Hounsell (Current Chair of Branches and Members Committee, Trustee, Branch Officer) 
I have been in a branch office for a long time... I became branch secretary in my 30s. I enjoyed it, you were inviting the speakers and organising the events. Being a part of the Association’s executive makes you feel that you have a role in shaping how the Association works and develops over time.   

Ben Walsh (Conference speaker, former Chair of Secondary Committee, former Deputy President) 
As I gained expertise from the HA, I was fortunate enough to be able to be a part of their own work. I was privileged to be the chair of the Secondary Committee to represent secondary teachers and to try to establish how the HA could best help them. 

Susie Townsend (Primary History contributor, Conference presenter) 
It’s been really interesting being a contributor for Primary History. I find myself quoted by my trainee teachers in a lot of their assignments. I don’t know whether that they’re currying for good marks or not, but it’s been another dimension. And from a purely personal point of view, it’s really nice to get the chance to write and to be perhaps respected a little bit more within your own profession, I think that’s really exciting. In a workshop someone mentioned my article and I thought, oh that’s really nice. It’s a really nice community and I feel that it’s benefited me. 

Alison West (Former Cambridge branch officer) 
Volunteering on a branch committee was hard work, but I gained a lot of personal satisfaction, and I met lots of interesting people. 
 
Branch Officer (anonymous, via Membership Survey) 
There have been so many enjoyable and memorable moments. Nothing quite beats the exhilaration of organising an event that many people attend and that turns out to be 'the best ever' or 'one of the best'. 

If you would like to get involved or find out more, please get in touch at enquiries@history.org.uk.