A CUMBRIAN'S life has completely changed through volunteering with Tullie, Carlisle Castle, and Carlisle Cathedral. 

Glenn Rider from Carlisle struggled to leave the house due to anxiety but through volunteering he has a newfound confidence in taking on the challenges that life throws at him.

He can now walk down the street and speak to everyone who visits the attractions.

"From 2017-2018, I wouldn't come out of the house and don't get me wrong, I still have days where I turn back from where I'm going... but I'm so further forward it's unbelievable," he said.

"Family and friends have noticed over the few years the difference.

"I never thought in a million years that I can do what I'm doing now, and I am."

Mr Rider's first volunteering opportunity was with Tullie Museum and Art Gallery where he was helping in the galleries.

Initially, he used to dread it and would walk away when people came in, until one day a visitor asked him about one of the exhibits.

Mr Rider said: "I was shaking like a leaf and I told them the full story - where it came from I don't know - but I did.

"And then with the next person I thought, 'I know something, I need to learn more', so everywhere I go within the Tullie galleries, I know three things, three paintings, or three bits of history.

"If anyone comes in, I know I've got something to say to them."

Through the Helping Hands initiative, he has gone on to take on volunteering opportunities at Carlisle Castle and Carlisle Cathedral too.

Mr Rider was nervous when he first started at the castle but through a lot of research he feels confident in sharing all he knows with visitors and even speaking in front of a group of school children.

"This confidence that I've got stems from the help I've been getting," said Mr Rider.

"It's scary even to me because I'm not this cowering down person like I used to be."

Within his first year at Tullie, he was representing them for Volunteer of the Year at the Museum and Heritage Awards - though unfortunately he wasn't shortlisted. 

Kate Apperley, volunteer coordinator at Tullie, said: “It's been wonderful to witness Glenn's volunteer journey and to watch his confidence grow.

"He has been such an asset to Tullie and we’ve been delighted to see him volunteering with other cultural attractions too.”

The Helping Hands initiative, led by Cumbria Museum Consortium, placed more than 400 volunteers within arts, culture, and heritage organisations across the county over a two-year period.

Volunteers, like Glenn, who got involved through Helping Hands have reported social benefits, improved mental health, and a confidence boost.

Mr Rider said: "What I've found out is don't cower down, face the problem, deal with it the best you can, if you can't - try something different.

"This is the encouragement that I've got by talking to Helping Hands and I've formed this friendship that is unbelievable."

Kate Parry MBE, head of partnership at Cumbria Museum Consortium, said: “Volunteers experience a wide range of benefits, from social connections and increased confidence to improved mental health and a deeper engagement with arts and culture.

"This is precisely what volunteering should be—a win-win for everyone involved."