Volunteers
PLEASE NOTE: We receive applications from potential volunteers throughout the year but recruit new volunteers only periodically. We will next be recruiting in Spring 2012. In the meantime, if you are interested in volunteering, please register using our online form, and we will be in touch in due course.
The Volunteers Service supports people who volunteer in the seven Oxford University museums and collections.
Most volunteers work with the public, from helping with children's activities to manning the information desk, and from stewarding late-night events to delivering introductory tours.
A small number of people volunteer in other areas of the collections, too. This might include working alongside curatorial staff or helping in administrative roles.
Most of our volunteers help on an ad-hoc, occasional basis. However, some roles require a regular commitment.
Volunteering can be a great way to build your skills and confidence, especially if you're seeking experience of working with children and the general public or are interested in museums or education.
You don't have to have specialist knowledge to volunteer; what you will need is an enthusiasm for the museums and their collections and a willingness to get stuck in!
More information about different volunteer roles is listed below. If you are interested in a particular role, please specify this on your registration form. More information about different volunteer roles is listed below. If you are interested in a particular role, please specify this on your registration form.
Work Placements
If you are under 18 and looking for work experience, this is not organised through the Volunteers Service; see 'Frequently Asked Questions' for information on who to contact at each of the museums and collections.
We cannot usually organise work placements for people living outside the UK.
Volunteering at family and education events
The support of volunteers makes it possible for us to offer free activities to thousands of children and adults each year. Family-friendly volunteers often help on craft activities, e.g. making models based on objects from the collections. There are sometimes simple experiments, trails, or handling objects, too. As a volunteer, you'll be welcoming families and encouraging them to enjoy their time at the museums.
It's about being a warm, helpful person who is interested in the visitors as well as the collections.
On Sundays the Oxford University Museum of Natural History and the Pitt Rivers Museum run a family-friendly session that involves volunteers loaning out explorer backpacks and supervising making activities. A team of volunteers is trained to run these sessions in pairs. Each volunteer helps approximately once every six weeks.
We also have one-off events, including late-night openings and Wow!How?, our super Science Fair, which we run every year in March. Volunteers design their own activities for Wow!How? and run them on the day.
Volunteers also help with occasional secondary school visits in the museums and with outreach visits to community groups.
Volunteering as a Tour Guide
Some volunteers have been trained to run weekly tours at the Museum of the History of Science and the Pitt Rivers Museum. These cover the history and highlights of the museums and are advertised for the general public.
Once trained, guides join a rota and can expect to deliver an average of one tour every six weeks.
Weekly training sessions are run over six weeks at various points in the year.
Another team of trained volunteers leads occasional tours for school groups at the Pitt Rivers Museum. Volunteers can apply to join this team.
Volunteering in the Ashmolean Money Gallery
Every Saturday afternoon, a pair of volunteers runs 'Hands-on Coins' in the Money Gallery. Here, volunteers help visitors to get up close and personal to real pieces of history, in the guise of coins.
Training for this role is carried out over two evenings and will be advertised in 'Current Opportunities'.
Once trained, volunteers will join a rota and can expect to help an average of once every six weeks.
Volunteering on the Information Desk
A large number of volunteers help at the Ashmolean Information Desk, dealing with visitor enquiries, selling audio guides, and generally welcoming people to the museum. These volunteers help for a regular three hours each week. Full training is provided.
A smaller number of volunteers provide back-up support at the Pitt Rivers Information Desk, particularly during busy weekend and holiday periods. After training, volunteers join a rota and are called upon as needed.
Volunteering in Administrative Roles
Some museum departments ask for help with general administrative tasks such as letter stuffing, photocopying, laminating, telephoning, and database work. These opportunities, which may be regular or occasional, are advertised by email to our list of active volunteers.
Volunteering in Collections
A small number of volunteers help behind-the-scenes, for example with cataloguing, data entry, photography, transcription, cleaning, and moving objects.
The nature of the work depends on the collection's needs and the volunteer's skills and interests. Key qualities include commitment to task, a methodical approach, and attention to detail.
These opportunities are less common and usually require a regular, long-term or intensive commitment. We will advertise these opportunities by email to our list of active volunteers.
For more information about volunteering, see 'Frequently Asked Questions'. You can also contact the Volunteers Service on 01865 282456.