Part 2: Training Volunteer Tour Guides
You will hear a man talking to a group of new volunteer guides at a historic town.
Lời thoại bài nghe (transcript)
Coordinator: Good morning, everyone, and welcome to the first training day for our new volunteer guides. My name's Peter Lund, and I coordinate the volunteer programme here at the Kelsey Old Town Trust. I'll start with a bit of background, then go through what we expect from you, and finally I'll take you through the stops on our main walking tour.
So, why did we set up a volunteer programme? A lot of people assume it was to save money, but in fact the paid guides we used to employ cost the Trust very little. And it certainly wasn't because visitor numbers were falling; they've risen every year for the past five years. The real reason came from our visitor surveys. Again and again, people told us that what they wanted most was to hear from guides who actually live here, people with their own stories and local knowledge. And that, of course, is exactly what all of you can offer.
Now, what do we ask of you? When we first launched the scheme, we asked volunteers to lead one tour every week. But we found that this put off a lot of people with full-time jobs, so we've changed it, and the minimum is now two tours a month. You choose the dates yourselves using the online calendar.
As for training, the advert some of you saw mentioned six sessions, but we've since reduced that to four, including today. There's no formal exam at the end. What we do insist on is that before you lead a group on your own, you go along on at least three tours with one of our experienced guides, just to watch and see how they handle things. We also offer a first-aid course, but that's optional, and it's run separately by the county council.
You'll all receive a tour script today. Please don't try to learn it by heart. Visitors can always tell when someone is reciting. Treat it as an outline of the key facts, and then bring in your own memories and stories. That's what visitors remember.
Right, let's look at the route itself. You'll meet your group in Market Square. On Tuesdays and Saturdays the square is packed with stalls, so don't keep people standing around there for long. Just point out the old market cross and move on.
From there you go to the Clock Tower. There are ninety-two steps to the top, but anyone who can't manage them can wait in the small exhibition on the ground floor. The tricky thing about the tower is that it's sometimes closed at short notice, for example when there's a wedding in the council chamber next door, so you must phone the caretaker each morning to check what time it'll be open.
Next are the Weavers' Cottages. They used to charge an entry fee, but that was dropped last year, so groups can go in free of charge. The one rule there is no photography indoors, because the light from camera flashes can damage the old fabrics.
After that you'll reach the Old Mill, which is always a favourite. The volunteers there let visitors have a go at grinding flour with the original millstones, and children especially love it. Normally the Mill would be the place for a break, but its toilets are closed for repairs until the spring. So for now, please take your group to Tannery Lane, where the new visitor centre has toilets and a small café.
And finally, Riverside Gardens. You'll go down a short flight of steps to get there, but there's a ramp at the side for anyone who needs it. That's where you'll finish the tour and say goodbye to your group, and you can point them towards the bus stop on Bridge Street. OK, before we go any further, are there any questions?
