Current Vacancies
The East Lancashire Railway is constantly on the lookout for talented people to help keep this vital spark of British Heritage alight.
Do you have what it takes to be a part of our family?
Shop Manager (Volunteer)
We are looking for an enthusiastic and motivated Volunteer Shop Manager to take the lead in running our Shop. This is a fantastic opportunity to gain hands-on management experience, meet new people, and make a real difference.
As a Volunteer Shop Manager, you’ll help create a welcoming and engaging environment for customers and volunteers, ensuring the shop operates smoothly, efficiently, and successfully.
Key Responsibilities
- Oversee the day-to-day running of the shop.
- Supervise, support, and motivate volunteers.
- Deliver outstanding customer service at all times.
- Manage stock levels, operate the till, and maintain attractive product displays.
- Handle cashing up, banking, and basic record-keeping duties.
- Ensure the shop remains clean, tidy, and compliant with health and safety guidelines.
- Liaise with other shop volunteers to arrange shift cover and maintain smooth operations.
- Work closely with the management team to meet sales targets and keep the shop refreshed with new stock.
Skills & Qualities
- Friendly, approachable, and confident when engaging with the public.
- Organised and reliable, with excellent attention to detail.
- Strong communication and leadership skills.
- Comfortable handling money and completing basic administrative tasks.
- Able to work well as part of a team and take initiative when needed.
- Previous retail or supervisory experience is desirable but not essential – full training will be provided.
What You’ll Gain
- Valuable hands-on experience in retail management and customer service.
- Development of leadership, organisation, and teamwork skills.
- The satisfaction of contributing to a great cause and making a positive impact.
- References and experience to enhance your CV.
If you are a people person who enjoys working off your own initiative and are interested in registering your interest in this role, please contact events@eastlancsrailway.co.uk
Shop Assistant (Volunteer)
The East Lancashire Railway is looking for a friendly, helpful individual to help us to run our busy Gift Shop in Bury Bolton Street Station. Duties will include working the till and handling customer enquiries, keeping the display area stocked up with products, keeping the area neat and tidy and cashing up and closing at the end of the working day.
The position is voluntary. The volunteer will ideally need to be available to work midweek during the summer months and Sunday, either all day or just for the morning/afternoon time slots. Full training and support will be given.
If you are a people person who enjoys working off your own initiative and are interested in registering your interest in this role, please contact events@eastlancsrailway.co.uk
Bury Station Buffet Assistant (Volunteer)
We currently have an opening for a buffet assistant to join our busy and professional team. This is a fantastic opportunity for a customer focused individual to join a unique and popular part of the business at the East Lancashire Railway.
This is a volunteer role, applicants must be aged 18 or over to apply. The successful applicant will be required to work weekends as well as some midweek days during our busy period.
If you feel you can work under pressure whilst maintaining an extremely high level of customer service and while continuously augmenting our establishment’s reputation, then this could be the role for you.
Download the full Job Description here.
Please send a copy of your CV and a covering letter to our Buffet Manager at – maggie.sayce@eastlancsrailway.co.uk
Seasonal Casual Retail & Events Support Assistant
We are seeking an enthusiastic Seasonal Casual Retail & events Support Assitant to join our team during our busy summer and events season.
This is a varied, customer-facing role supporting retail operations, onboard sales, cafés and family events across the railway. The position plays an important role in enhancing the visitor experience while helping to maximise retail sales during peak trading periods.
You will work closely with the Sales & Events Team, Café Manager and retail volunteers, supporting busy services, special events and children’s activities.
This is a flexible casual role, and working hours may increase during peak periods such as major events and weekends.
Key Responsibilities
Retail & On-Train Sales
- Proactively sell souvenirs and merchandise onboard trains during busy services and events
- Promote event-specific products and seasonal merchandise
- Process card and mobile payments using POS systems
- Engage with visitors and encourage additional purchases
Retail Shop Support
- Assist with the operation of the railway shop when volunteer cover is limited
- Maintain attractive product displays and merchandising standards
- Ensure the shop remains open and trading during busy periods
Café & Buffet Support
- Support the Café Manager during peak demand
- Assist with onboard buffet services and customer service
Events & Birthday Parties
- Assist the Sales & Events Team with the delivery of children’s events and birthday parties
- Support event setup, preparation and guest experience
- Promote retail items and add-on purchases during events
About You
We are looking for someone who is:
- Friendly, confident and enthusiastic when interacting with visitors
- Comfortable working in a busy, fast-paced environment
- Reliable and flexible with working hours
- A strong team player with good communication skills
- Interested in events, retail or tourism
Previous experience in retail, hospitality, events or customer service would be advantageous but is not essential.
Safeguarding & Compliance
As this role may involve supporting children’s events:
- An Enhanced DBS check will be required
- Safeguarding awareness training will be provided
- Basic food hygiene awareness may be required
What We Offer
- A varied and engaging seasonal role
- The opportunity to work at a busy heritage railway and major events
- Experience across retail, hospitality and event operations
- Flexible hours during peak periods
Download the full job description.
To apply, please email an expression of interest and a C.V to Events@eastlancsrailway.co.uk
Event Support Team Member (Volunteer)
The East Lancashire Railway is looking for a reliable and helpful individual to help support our many events. One of the main perks of this role is that no 2 days are the same. One day you could be travelling on a train, the next you could be staffing radio systems in the control room.
Duties might include:
- First Aid
- Security
- Crowd Control
- Event Set Up
- Safety
- Ticket Checking
- Concert Duties
- General Station Duties
The ideal candidate will be able to:
- Ensure the safety and security of customers visiting the railway
- Provide medical response services when required
- Oversee general security operations to maintain a safe environment
- Work in the control room, monitoring and managing events to ensure smooth operations
- Collaborate effectively with other members of the team
If you are interested in taking on this varies and exciting role, please contact events@eastlancsrailway.co.uk