Opportunities

Volunteering for all

There are plenty of volunteering opportunities available in Surrey museums and galleries to suit different interests and time available. Across the county, our museums have volunteers of all ages and from all walks of life. If you have an interest in your local heritage, your local community or would like to build up your work experience in the cultural sector, then volunteering could be for you.

We have students looking to expand their work knowledge and skills. We have professionals wanting practical experience in the sector. We have people with a personal interest looking to offer a few hours of their time. And we have those who have finished their formal careers, wishing to be involved with their local community or a different social group. All time given is very welcome.

Volunteering Roles

You don’t need to be an expert as all museums provide on-the-job training. Whether you are interested in a role that is public facing or something that is more behind the scenes, there are so many areas of museum and gallery work that you can enjoy. Here are just some examples that volunteers in Surrey museums and galleries currently do:

Front of House welcoming visitors
Reception answering calls and general visitor enquiries
Tour guide or visitor assistant helping the public understand the buildings, collections and exhibitions
Gift shop or café assistant
Learning support helping Education Officers deliver workshops for different ages and community groups
Data Entry and Cataloguing are always appreciated if you would prefer a role behind the scenes

We also have many volunteers working on research for specific countywide projects.

How to Become a Volunteer

1. Contact a museum directly
   Why not take a look on the individual museum and gallery pages in the Explore Our Museums section of this website to begin with? If you find a museum in an area that suits you or has the kind of collections or buildings that interest you, get in touch with them to see if they are taking on volunteers. Alternatively, get in touch with us at Surrey Museums Partnership and we’ll provide you with a contact.
2. Contact Surrey Museums Partnership
   If you have a particular interest or skill that you would like to fulfil as a volunteer, then please get in touch with us at the Surrey Museums Partnership and we’ll see if we can match you up with a suitable organisation.

Volunteers: the backbone of Surrey Museums

Volunteers of all ages and backgrounds are the backbone of Surrey museums and galleries. Most of the museums have limited paid posts and rely on their volunteers for help with essential daily services and general operations. Over half of Surrey museums are run entirely by volunteers. Their passion and commitment to making collections and histories available and protecting those for future generations is inspiring. Without them, visitors and local communities would not experience these aspects of their local heritage and identity.

In short, Surrey museums and visitors truly benefit from the time and skills that each volunteer brings to the organisation. Many museums would simply not exist without the valuable support of their volunteer workforce.