Meet the Volunteers
How long have you been volunteering with us:
Volunteering for me started 20 years ago when I was asked to write a magazine article for the DLI Friends – a group that has a history of supporting the DLI Collection practically and through fund-raising. My volunteering has developed since then and my primary role now is to help visitors and online enquirers with military (particularly DLI) history enquiries.
What do you love about volunteering:
Working with a team of other volunteers is socially rewarding and mentally stimulating for me and being able, at my age, to exercise my brain and make a valued contribution is a great bonus!
What volunteer projects are you currently working on:
Currently, I’m helping with research and planning for future DLI Collection projects. I also help research Collection items, develop educational support material for both Primary and Secondary schools and assist my volunteer colleagues.
Interesting fact:
I created the themed 2005 Exhibition for the annual national Picture Postcard Show in London – on Horatio Nelson – for the bicentenary of the Battle of Trafalgar!
How long have you been volunteering with us:
What do you love about volunteering:
What volunteer projects are you currently working on:
Interesting fact:
How long have you been volunteering :
18 years with the DLI Association, and with the DLI collection since 2016
What do you love about volunteering:
Camaraderie
What volunteer projects are you currently working on:
I do lots of varied volunteering: veterans hub wood turning, SSAFA volunteer (veterans and families support), and with the DLI collection I supported with re-cataloguing the DLI library at Sevenhills, transcription of diaries, and schools outreach.
Interesting fact:
I spent 13 years with the Royal Army Dental Corps, as a trainer in radiography, letter writing, typing, mixing materials and helping the dentist, chair side. My last posting was at Donnington, where I was seconded to run a troop of ambulances during the strike in 1989, for which I received a commendation.
How long have you been volunteering with us:
What do you love about volunteering:
What volunteer projects are you currently working on:
Interesting fact:
Enlisted into 8DLI when 18 in 1963, and served for 36 years in the TA, and when 8DLI disbanded, served in 5LI then 7LI. I was a founder member of the Faithful Inkerman Dinner Club, and was treasurer and secretary for twenty years. I am secretary of the Chester-le-Street Branch of the DLI Association. I have been a member of the Durham Light Infantry Friends and a volunteer with the education team at Sevenhills.
What do you love about volunteering:
I enjoy visiting the schools and working with the team, explaining the history of the DLI to the schoolchildren and showing them the artifacts.
Interesting fact:
My hobbies include golf, football, and dog walking. In the past I was Captain of the Beamish Park Golf Club.
How long have you been volunteering with us:
6 years
What do you love about volunteering:
First of all I find it interesting, I’m interested in the topic. It’s also the environment, the people I volunteer with – it’s a pleasure to come. The work is inspiring – the histories of people, you feel for them, it’s both sad and brilliant, the people went through a lot – injury, death and did sterling service. That’s why I turn up.
What volunteer projects are you currently working on:
I am working on identifying individuals in the diorama and a project about the regiments of the DLI. Day to day I support where needed with research. The first project I worked on was a query about patches, why were they different colours. It was great to be able to get an answer, I really enjoyed it.
Interesting fact:
I have a keen interest in the panel set up with fostering, where I attend panel meetings. It links to my professional career in Social Work, and I have to stay up to date on protocol and the latest updates.
I am a member of the DLI Association, and I volunteer for SSAFA and get to meet and volunteer with really nice people.
My hobbies are photography and saving malt whiskeys.
How long have you been volunteering with us:
5 years at Sevenhills with the DLI Collection.
What do you love about volunteering:
The social side.
What volunteer projects are you currently working on:
I have supported the education learning team with school groups. Recently I am supporting with research– looking into soldiers and their stories. I am also supporting with the transcription of paper based collections items cards into digital copies.
Interesting fact:
I have met Mikhail Gorbachev and his wife on a flight from Moscow to Amsterdam, and have also met the Heros of Telemark, Joachim Ronneberg. My profession as an Application Engineer working on diesel engines took me all over the world with Cummins, JCB & Kubota whilst also serving with 7LI. I have played lots of sports, my main one being hockey for over 50 years, where I played for Norton. I am the Membership Secretary for the DLI Friends, and a member of the Bishop Auckland DLI Association.
How long have you been volunteering with us:
8 years. Started volunteering at the old DLI museum – working with the collection cleaning medals etc, currently volunteering at Sevenhills, where I supported with the DLI library.
What do you love about volunteering:
Camaraderie
What volunteer projects are you currently working on:
Creating boxes for packing in preparing for the collection move to The Story. Creating dog tags for the learning team workshops, for use with school pupils.
Interesting fact: I enjoy my holidays – cruises and my caravan. I recently went to Edinburgh to watch the Military Tattoo. I am a joiner by trade.
How long have you been volunteering with us:
Since April 2023.
What do you love about volunteering:
I’ve always been interested in local history, geneology & the military. Volunteering gives me the opportunity for friendship & meeting /researching interesting people.
What volunteer projects are you currently working on:
I was asked to join initially to build the DLI friends website and to assist with ICT, which is a continuous dynamic process.
Interesting fact:
I was a Firefighter for 30 years. In 2000 I was a bone Marrow donor for a woman with Leukemia in Melbourne Australia, the donation saved her life. 21 years later my grand daughter had to undergo a Bone Marrow Transplant (which fortunately was successful). During the campaign to find a match for her we estimate we swabbed and added over 4,000 new donors to the register.