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THE INSTITUTE THEATRE VOLUNTEER WINS BIG
The Institute, Braintree’s Grade II listed theatre, is delighted to announce that their dedicated volunteer, Carol Hearn, was the winner of two awards at the Braintree District Volunteer & Active Braintree Awards, held at Alec Hunter Academy on Wednesday 29 October. A finalist for the Going the Extra Mile category, nominated by The Institute Trustees Lewis Codling and Jim Hollands, she was announced as the winner due to her commitment volunteering since January 2024. And, at the end of the evening, she was thrilled to discover she was also the winner of the crème de la crème accolade: Volunteer of the Year.
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Carol first began volunteering at The Institute as part of the theatre's Front of House team, assisting with shows by ticket scanning, ushering, and offering general customer support. From there she began training as the Box Office Manager to handle online bookings using a complex ticketing system, as well as taking phone and in-person payments, organising the volunteer schedule, and overseeing support for access patrons on show nights.
"A lack of arts funding and the cost of living crisis make running our community arts venue very difficult," explain Lewis and Jim. "We had a real gap in our team and have been incredibly lucky to have Carol generously donate her time and volunteer in these roles. Above and beyond does not begin to cover Carol. She is always there to lend a hand when we need extra support, and is always keen to learn new things, including receiving her first aid certification as one of our venue First Aid Officers.
"Carol's positive and bubbly energy impacts everyone who walks through our door. She truly has become the face of the venue, and there is no doubt that our future development would not be possible without the time, dedication, and technical prowess she provides."
"I'm humbled I was even put forward for the Going the Extra Mile award, only discovering I'd been nominated back in September," says Carol. "When I first started, I'm not ashamed to admit I even struggled to send an email, with the team on hand to help me develop my skills. Being announced as a Finalist was amazing in itself – and to win both the Going the Extra Mile award and Volunteer of the Year award something I never imagined would happen. The trophies now take pride of place in my display cupboard at home, and the certificates on my desk to remind me of how much volunteering has – and always will – mean to me."
