Volunteer opportunities

Hands On desk volunteers

We are looking for enthusiastic volunteers to join our Hands On programme which provides visitors with a unique opportunity to handle genuine objects from the Museum’s collection. There are six Hands On desks spread throughout the galleries which are open daily, seven days a week, between 11.00 and 16.00. This is a great opportunity to learn about the Museum’s collection and to work with our visitors.

This volunteer role involves

• Encouraging visitors to handle objects and illustrating how to do this.
• Engaging visitors in discussions about the objects and cultures represented.
• Answering questions from the public.
• Undertaking a training programme.

How the programme is organised

• Volunteers train for one Hands On desk at a time.
• Once trained, volunteers will be entered onto on a fixed rota system where they undertake two sessions in a four-week period. A session is either 11.00–13.30 or 13.30–16.00.
• The rota is fixed for a minimum time of six months.
• In the event that volunteers cannot make their session we ask that they swap with a fellow volunteer in order to ensure that their session is covered.

What we would like from you

• You will have a keen interest in the Museum’s collection.
• You will enjoy talking to people and be enthusiastic about engaging our visitors with the Museum collection.
• You will have an interest in working with all museum audiences including families, adults and school groups.
• You will be able to commit to leading two sessions in a four-week period for a minimum of eight months.

What you can expect from us

We will provide you with training on the different ways to engage visitors at a Hands On desk and with the information about the objects. We do not ask that you have any prior knowledge of the collection.