This project will have opportunities for volunteers across England to get involved, as well as remote volunteering options. There will be roles suitable for a wide range of interests and abilities and full training will be provided for all roles.

We will be looking for volunteers to:

• Visit churchyards to enrich the record with inscriptions, materials, form, symbolism, condition checks and extra photographs, as well as information about the value of the area for wildlife such as veteran tree records, habitats for lichen, fungi, wildflowers and insects.
• Visit local archives or look online to research the people recorded on the gravestones and add details such as wills, census records, newspaper articles and more.
• Work from home inputting data such as typing up inscriptions, adding photos and PDFs of research.

• Training offered includes:

  • Memorial recording training – how to identify different forms of monument, what they are made from and what the symbols on them mean. Get tips for reading even the most faded inscriptions, taking great photos and undertaking basic condition checks.
  • Digital map training – learn how to use the AG Intl Burial Ground Management System mapping system to explore records and how additional material such as photos and extra information are added to enrich the map. If you do not have a map for your burial site, we can show you how to create one from aerial photographs. 
  • Wildlife recording training – learn about the churchyard wildlife with guidance from Caring for God’s Acre or other specialists to help record biodiversity as well as memorials.
  • Archival and research training – how to get the most out of your local archives and/or online platforms like Ancestry and British Newspaper Archives to find out about the people buried in the churchyard.
  • Visit other burial grounds to explore and meet other volunteers – we will arrange guided tours and visits where we can share skills, swap knowledge and celebrate our progress.