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In the heart of Auckland Castle, amidst the historic halls and timeless treasures, one volunteer stands out for her exceptional dedication and unwavering positivity.

Meet Lydia Nicholson, the recipient of the ‘Exceptional Positive Attitude’ award, nominated by both volunteers and staff. Her infectious enthusiasm has made her a cherished member of our team, brightening every Saturday with her “radiant smiles” and “genuine kindness”, becoming an “inspiration” to many.

Read what Lydia’s peers had to say…

“There is one volunteer who stands out for me and that is Lydia Nicholson.”

“Every Saturday Lydia is at the Castle greeting everyone with a smile on her face. Every new member is greeted with kindness and made to feel very welcome. Lydia walks miles round the Castle and Faith just to make sure we are happy and have no problems. No matter how new you are or how little you know about the venues Lydia is there to support and encourage you so you enjoy your time on shift. I love the way she has adopted the Zurbaran paintings as “Her Boys “and was used as a title of a book about the same paintings. Her love for the venues shines through and is infectious.”

“By nominating Lydia I want to show my appreciation to the person who brought the joys of Auckland Castle to me. My first visit was a guided tour by her and also the reason I became a volunteer. Eleven years later she still inspires and encourages everyone with the same fervour. Her weekly posts on our Facebook page give informative, sometimes humorous, details on her Saturday shift and she always thanks staff and volunteers alike. Don’t we all like to feel valued?

“In short, her boundless enthusiasm and dedication deserves the recognition that we, her fellow volunteers, already have for her.”

“Lydia and I have worked together since The Spanish Gallery art tours and I have benefited very much from her long experience of the castle, her calm, informal and sincere support, plus the constant encouragement she gives to all volunteers and the pride she shows in her work. She generates strong and exemplary positivity in her roles and is definitely a great asset to the organisation.”

“When I first started, Lydia Nicholson was an inspiration to me. She was always so cheerful and enthusiastic and has so much knowledge about The Zurbaran paintings. Lydia also writes on Facebook, about how her shifts have been, and she always thanks volunteers and staff.

“It’s very hard to choose one person! We have so many lovely volunteers, but my nomination has to be Team Saturday Lydia.
I had a really rough year last year and really didn’t want to come to work and Lydia was really supportive and encouraging to me, she never fails to make me smile and she really does encompass encouraging that work morale and making the castle a lovely place to be in for us and everyone visiting.
I will never forgot my first few weeks in the castle and very much a castle fledgling and she gave this wonderful talk to what seemed like a massive group of visitors and when she finished they were all hanging on her every word. Then she said “I’m going to leave you with Suzanne now she can help you with any questions” which was terrifying and lovely all at the same time but she always makes you feel like you got this, you can do it and we are all a team whether you have been there 5 minutes or 5 years.”

We couldn’t do what we do without our team of volunteers. Together we can make a difference…

Volunteering is a great way to get into the heritage sector and immerse yourself in the day-to-day running of such an important historical site. If you’re looking for a new experience, want to learn new skills, or meet new people, then our volunteering programme could be for you.

How to apply

Complete our online volunteer application form to begin your volunteering journey with The Auckland Project