Volunteers are back on the streets of Shrewsbury on a mission to help visitors get the best of what the town has to offer.
The Original Shrewsbury Ambassadors will be back on patrol between 10am and 2.30pm on Saturdays and 11am and 2.30pm on Sundays from early June.
The scheme was launched in 2019 and proved extremely successful with visitors, residents and businesses. The ambassadors offer a friendly face and warm welcome as they pass on the benefits of their local knowledge and information about the town to visitors.
Ambassadors can easily be spotted around town in their eye-catching uniforms handing out maps, guides and information. The scheme is jointly funded by Shrewsbury BID and Shrewsbury Tourism Association.
Stephanie Mansell-Jones, of Shrewsbury BID, said: “The Original Shrewsbury Ambassadors make a valuable contribution to a successful visitor experience – enhancing the reputation of our town.
“People are still able to volunteer to become an ambassador and there is plenty of flexibility in terms of how much time they are able to give. We are all about creating the best possible visitor experience and our ambassadors are front and centre in helping to achieve this.”
Dilwyn Jones, director of Shrewsbury Tourism Association, added: “Shrewsbury plays host to many thousands of visitors every year and this promises to be an extremely busy summer for the town. It’s such a wonderful place to visit and we want to make sure visitors get the most from their trip, seeing everything on their wish list and much more besides.
“Ambassadors are able to provide information on things like the history of our town, river attractions, museums and theatres, what guided tours are available and the wide variety of bars, hotels, restaurants and pubs.
“Along with the knowledge they are serving their community, there are other benefits to being an ambassador. Free lunches are provided for those volunteers completing a full day and there’s a free Sabrina Boat season ticket for all volunteers, as well as exclusive guided tours for Ambassadors and maybe even a canoe trip this year!
“Radios are provided for volunteers to keep in touch with each other, ambassador handbooks are available to all volunteers and a training evening is also provided to get you up to speed. It’s an important role and the volunteers will often be the first point of contact with visitors, so it’s important that our ambassadors are bright, cheerful and helpful.”
For more about the Original Shrewsbury Ambassadors and to volunteer, visit Shrewsburybid.co.uk/ambassadors
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