Booking is now open for the LMS Walking Pilgrimage to Walsingham, which takes place from Thursday 22nd August to Sunday 25th August. But before we can welcome 200+ pilgrims, we need to be able to look after them. Today I appeasing for two more categories of volunteers: marshals for the walking part of the pilgrimage, and volunteers to assemble and dismantle things like gazebos at the campsites.
Being a marshal is an unglamorous role, and it can also be quite solitary, since you walk between, behind, or ahead of the chapters. It is nevertheless essential. First, for road safety, managing cars passing sometimes on quite narrow roads. Secondly, to assist pilgrims who need to drop out.
We prefer to have as marshals people who have walked the pilgrimage at least once before. An obvious qualification is being sufficiently fit to do the walk!
Another of taking part in the pilgrimage, that does not involve the walking, but still requires physically active people, is the role of campsite volunteer. As the pilgrimage has grown, the cooking team has outgrown the often tiny kitchens in some of the venues we use, and have to cook outside, under cover. By the same token, it is harder to fit everyone into the halls at these places to eat.
Similarly, we are bursting out of the churches we use along the route, and have to consider the celebration of the liturgy outside.
So we are increasingly using gazebos and the like to keep the rain (or sun) off. This is a new aspect of the pilgrimage, and we need to establish a group of people able to spend time in the afternoon assembling these things, and in the morning taking them down again, while the walking is going on.
Again, unglamorous, and largely hidden from view, but absolutely necessary for the good of the whole pilgrimage, and the glory of God.
If you would like to volunteer for these roles, please email walsinghampilgrimage@lms.org.uk
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