Record 70,000 lend a hand to National Trust

Duties carried out by volunteers range from bird watching on the Long Mynd to checking out the state of the footpaths at Attingham Park.

The figure, an increase of 30,000 in the last decade, equals the number of Games Makers at the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games in London – events which appear to have boosted the profile of volunteering.

It has been released in the trust's annual report and is the first time the trust has passed the 70,000 volunteer mark. And those who are giving their time to support the trust have been praised for their efforts by national chiefs.

In the Shropshire area there are several National Trust properties including Attingham Park, Carding Mill Valley near Church Stretton, Benthall Hall at Broseley, Sunnycroft in Wellington and Chirk Castle, as well as Powis Castle at Welshpool.

In total there are 1,220 volunteers working throughout the year at seven sites which are regularly open to visitors.

There are 520 volunteers at Attingham Park who are involved in a range of tasks from meeting and greeting the 350,000 visitors every year to managing the park's deer and leading walks through the estate grounds.

At Carding Mill Valley some 80 volunteers act as wardens, dispensing local knowledge and information about the valley's diverse flora and fauna and also run the tea rooms and offices.

There are 160 volunteers at Powis Castle, 150 at Sunnycroft, and 120 at both Dudmaston Hall near Bridgnorth and Chirk Castle.

Emily Knight, visitor experience and conservation manager for Carding Mill Valley and Benthall Hall, said: "Without the volunteers we would not be able to operate.

"At the Carding Mill Valley we have 80 volunteers who work in a wide variety of jobs from the tea room to the office, in the valley itself and organising school visits.

"At Benthall Hall we have about 70 volunteers and without them we would have a wonderful house but not be able to tell them anything about it or maintain the gardens to the standard we do or have a tea room."

Helen Ghosh, director-general of the National Trust, said: "Volunteers are vital to organisations like the National Trust. When you visit one of our properties, for the most part the people that welcome you, explain the history of the place and look after it are volunteers."

Sites where volunteers are making a difference:

ATTINGHAM PARK in Atcham, near Shrewsbury, was built for the 1st Lord Berwick in 1785 and was in continuous ownership by the family for more than 160 years.

Visitors in 2012/13: 353,681

Volunteers: 520

BENTHALL HALL was built in 1535 and sits high above the gorge of the River Severn near Broseley.

Visitors in 2012/13: 14,460

Volunteers: 70

CARDING MILL VALLEY has as much as 2,000 hectares (4,942 acres) of heather-covered hills with views of the Shropshire Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and the Welsh hills. There are walks, a visitors centre and a pretty stream to paddle in as well as a tea room and picnic site.

Visitors in 2012/13:

Volunteers: 80

CHIRK CASTLE is a medieval castle completed in 1310. Features from its 700 years include the medieval tower and dungeon, 17th-century Long Gallery, grand 18th-century state apartments, servants' hall and historic laundry.

Visitors in 2012/13: 138,655

Volunteers: 120

DUDMASTON HALL near Bridgnorth offers something unexpected – a house that provides a classical setting for a collection of modern and contemporary art. The modern art galleries were assembled by diplomat Sir George Labouchere, while his wife Rachel showed off her collections of botanical drawings and watercolours.

Visitors in 2012/13: 46,360

Volunteers: 120

POWIS CASTLE originally built circa 1200, began life as a medieval fortress. Remodelled and embellished over more than 400 years by the Herbert family, Powis Castle now houses a fabulous collection dedicated to Clive of India. The building sits high on a rock overlooking its world-famous terraced gardens whose lay-outs are influenced by French and Italian styles, and overhung by clipped yews.

Visitors in 2012/13: 114,550

Volunteers: 160

SUNNYCROFT in Wellington is a substantial red-brick villa that is typical of the many thousands built for the prosperous middle classes in the late Victorian period. It is one of the very few villas of the period to have survived until the present day with a mini estate and largely unaltered contents and internal decoration.

Visitors in 2012/13: 18,644

Volunteers: 150

WILDERHOPE MANOR at Longville near Much Wenlock is an Elizabethan manor house that was restored by John Cadbury in 1936. The house is now used as a youth hostel but is open on limited occasions during the year.