This thesis explores volunteering at three heritage railways in Gwynedd, North Wales, during the period of 2016-2017. The decision to focus on heritage railways in Wales was taken as it offers an insight into a specific type of volunteering, in a unique setting which is often overlooked in the literature. Unlike many other forms of volunteering, railway participation is generally intense, seasonal, and highly gendered, which challenges many previously held perceptions.
The data was collected by way of structured interviews and participant observations with volunteers and members of management at each of the three railways. This methodology was utilised due to the nature of the organisations themselves, the way in which the volunteers generally lived considerable distances away from the railways, engaged on an intensive basis, and worked long hours. Due to these challenges, interviewing the volunteers in a more structured way, frequently whilst they were working and on their individual tasks, allowed for rich data to be collected.
Through conducting an analysis of interview data and field notes (both analysed through the use of NVIVO), this research seeks to understand the personal stories, histories, and motives of those who participate. Specifically, this research examines how and why individuals came to be involved with the railways.
The findings of this thesis have shown that for the vast majority of the participants, being a volunteer on the railways was a serious leisure based activity, which often went beyond the traditionally held views of volunteering being an ad hoc activity which is engaged upon by the middle classes. Volunteers generally considered their engagement to be a form of ‘serious leisure’ as a result of their significant commitment. The paricipants often referred to the six elements of serious leisure ascribed by Stebbins (2006), these being 1) need to persevere at the activity, 2) availability of a leisure career, 3) need to put in effort to gain skill and knowledge, 4) realization of various special benefits, 5) unique ethos and social world, and 6) an attractive personal and social identity. Participants also reflected wider demographics within the industrial heritage industry and following the data analysis, retirement, belonging, identity, community (the railway community), the influence of family, tradition, demographics emerged as key themes.
Furthermore, the research found that particularly post retirement, volunteering provides many benefits including improving mental health, making new friends, feeling useful after ceasing employment, and being able to pursue a lifelong interest. Family was a significant aspect identified, with many indicating a connection either through previous membership, or by visiting as children with their family. Therefore, illustrating that railway volunteering can be considered a form of inheritance which is passed down through generations, particularly amongst the males.
The initial part of this thesis will focus primarily upon participant demographics, connections to family histories, and the motives behind individual engagement. The second part of the study examines the ‘serious’ nature of railway volunteering, including the dedication and commitment involved, both in terms of time and financial resources, along with how the volunteers develop a sense of belonging and community in this unique form of volunteering. For the purposes of this study, the term community will be used to defined both the local and volunteer communities. The final section of the research will further explore how the participants attempted to differentiate themselves from 'other' groups of volunteers, and how they responded to the stereotypical views held by the general public and perpetuated by the media, thereby helping them to shape their identities.
Overall, this thesis is positioned as a sociological inquiry, theoretically informed by the serious leisure perspective of Robert Stebbins and the field of heritage volunteering.