Children and young people are extremely important to Pegasus Theatre and are at the heart of the ethos, the day-to-day running and all its future plans. Their main aim is to get young people actively engaged with the arts, and they achieve this through many channels - one of these being with the help of volunteers.

Over the past year or so, the Pegasus Theatre, in Magdalen Road, Oxford, has been developing the volunteer scheme, to give young members a chance to explore new aspects of the theatre - such as interacting with audiences.

"Pegasus Theatre is in touch with the community and plays highly to this strength. This uniqueness breaks the mould from other theatres hence it stands out from the crowd", says Peter Guy, a Pegasus volunteer.

The volunteer programme gives around 30 people ranging from ten and up the opportunity to aid the front of house team in delivering a welcoming experience to theatregoers. Volunteers of all ages find themselves ushering, selling programmes and refreshments, while older volunteers help man the organic and Fair Trade bar. For some of the younger volunteers, this gives a great footing in life and experience in a professional working environment. For others, it is an opportunity to make new friends, interact in a community atmosphere; plus it's a great way of seeing theatre productions.

Volunteer Thea Ison said: "I think Pegasus is a great place to make new friends. I really like Pegasus as an organisation and I think everyone in it is really kind and friendly."

The next stage in the development of the volunteer scheme is to extend activity into the rest of the organisation. There are many different areas that would benefit from the help of volunteers that are not necessarily seen on a day-to-day basis by the general public. These include fundraising, marketing, administration and assisting on future projects and events. It is hoped that these experiences will give new skills to existing volunteers and also attract more people to the exciting activities at Pegasus.

"The volunteer scheme is so important to us, and its continuation and development is paramount," explains Emily Winfield, front of house co-ordinator. "Without the help from people who feel passionately about Pegasus and the arts, there is so much we would not be able to do. And with the long-awaited capital development programme about to start, Pegasus Theatre is going through an exciting period of change and readjustment.

If you are interested in becoming a volunteer at the Pegasus Theatre, or would like more information about their coming events, please contact: Emily Winfield, Front of House Co-ordinator, Pegasus Theatre, Magdalen Road, Oxford OX4 1RE, 01865 792209 ext 104 www.pegasustheatre.org.uk

  • To contribute to this column, contact Oxfordshire Community and Voluntary Action by email at voluntaryvoice@ocva.org.uk