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Latest News

11 March 2026

Dear Volunteers,

Spring is in the air! Lots of news so here goes……

Grace had laid about 6 eggs. Keep up to date on the swan cam.

Great news! We are having a free Open Day this year. Please spread the word. More info on our website: https://bishopspalace.org.uk/event/the-palace-open-day/

Each year we ask for three volunteers to come along to our monthly team meeting (30 mins first thing on the first Thurs of the month). Would you like to do this? It is important we have volunteers involved and if we get three people that only means coming four times during the year so not too arduous. All the teams give an update on what is going on in their department and of course you get a chance to say how things are going for you too..

A reminder that your lanyard is the equivalent of having a Friends of the Palace pass. This means you can attend any of the talks/tours for friends as well as getting a free entry and of course bringing along two friends on ‘Bring a Friend Days’. Have a look on the website for talks/tours/events.

Volunteer website updates: new for this month is the volunteer briefing powerpoint,  The Palace Trust strategy document for 2026 (a reminder that this is a confidential document for those withing the organisation) and we have also added a Monitoring Policy (see Policies and Procedures section). This is particularly relevant as we have new CCTV around the site.  This also relates to GDPR so please have a look at those policy docs too. For some light relief have a look at the pics from the pancake races too on the News page!

Supersaas rota has been updated until  the end of July so do go on and book yourself in.

Change of date for volunteer party. This will now be 3-5pm on Mon 1^st June (NOT 5^th as previously mentioned). We will be having a cream tea and garden games. Let’s hope we get a sunny day! Please let Gemma know if you would like to come along. This will be a celebration for National Volunteers Week.

A few people asked me if we could have names of the Bishops on all of the portraits in the Long Gallery. Plans are afoot for this to happen in the next 1-3 years depending on funding.

Guides: The new updated version of the guide pack is now on the volunteer website. Key changes are:

1. Change to how tours now take place – collection point and start point (see pages 4, 16)
2. New info relating to Great Hall – see page 17. Note deletion of point relating to there being a garden pre 1206 – there is no evidence of this
3. Amendments to Guides Additional Notes – see items 12, 14

Jo Stevenson, Community Gardener, is planning on running a seed bombs activity in the Easter hols for Nature Ninjas. Please can you bring in 6-egg egg boxes in time for Easter. Either give to Jo or one of the garden team at briefing or drop to shop.

Best Wishes and thanks for being part of this wonderful team,

Siobhan

Pancake day offered up great entertainment! Here is a picture of Merryn, Bishop Fiona and Tim, a cathedral verger, enjoying the fun. And Kai, on student placement here, and Megs, assistant gardener giving it their all!