Junior Volunteers

The Junior Volunteers Group provides volunteering opportunities for young people aged 10 to 15. We currently have 38 Junior Volunteers on our books. They are supported by a team of volunteer adult supervisors together with a team of Assistant Supervisors who were Junior Volunteers but have now reached the age of 16. Everyone works together to gain knowledge of how NYMR operates and to learn a range of appropriate skills.

Sunday Squad and the Sunday Two Team

The members volunteer around the railway tackling a range of jobs, be it fencing, concreting, painting, cleaning carriage parts, keeping stations presentable, you name it. Both teams are open to Junior volunteers aged 10+.

Junior Volunteer Week

Everyone takes part in Junior Volunteers Week at the end of July each year. It is quite the highlight of each season. Activities are run over the whole railway, further enhancing everyone’s knowledge and skills. A large team of Supervisors and Assistant Supervisors, together with staff and other volunteers all help to make the week a worthwhile experience. Check out a brief report on Junior Volunteers Week 2025.

What can this lead onto?

The Junior Volunteers Group can help young people progress onto all parts of the railway. We have plenty of roles that can suit everyone, a few examples being:

• Operating Department (Travelling Ticket Inspectors, Guards & Signalmen)
• Footplate Department (Cleaners, Firemen & Drivers)
• Engineering (Loco maintenance, carriage refurbishment & wagon rebuilding)
• Commercial Department (Catering, Shop sales & Customer Services)

Moving On

On reaching 16, a good number stay on NYMR as full volunteers. There are now ex-Junior Volunteers who drive, fire and prepare our steam locomotives, check tickets on-board and guard our trains, help passengers and dispatch trains efficiently as station foremen. Others work with the permanent way team maintaining the track and the lineside, help station groups and assist with special events such as the Santa Special trains.

Since the Junior Volunteers Group was started in 2008, several young people have found employment or volunteering roles

In the heritage railway sector:

• Luke - Guard and Signalman
• Phil, Robson, Matty, Jamie - Driver
• Rob, Tom, James - Fireman
• Eoin, David - Signalmen, Guards
• Charlie, Jack - MPD Apprentice Fitters
• Josh, Noah - MPD Fitters
• Chris - Ground Frame Operators
• Jamie - Operations

On the mainline railway:

• Calum, Rob - Bridges and Structures Engineers
• Tom - Signalling Design Engineer
• Jack C - Electrostar Performance Support Engineer for Southern Railway
• Nick - Train Care Technician
• Daniel - DRS Engineer
• Phil - TPE driver
• Luke - TPE train manager
• Peter - Hitachi engineer
• Robson - Northern fitter

In other fields:

• James - Industrial Design
• Dougie - Royal Fleet Auxiliary Officer
• Zak - Motor Sports
• Rachel - Forensic Science
• Marnie - Radiographer
• Oliver C - McLaren technician
• Oliver B - ICL Boulby apprentice

There are many more...

Whatever and wherever our Junior Volunteers move onto when they reach 16 we are confident that they have learned to volunteer their time in a good cause, have learned a range of skills, made friends and helped NYMR to achieve its goals, including keeping the railway maintained and running.