Volunteering for the Museums Service

What does the Museums Service do?

The East Riding of Yorkshire Museums Service manages five museum and gallery sites around the county. These are:

• Treasure House and Beverley Art Gallery;
• Beverley Guildhall;
• Skidby Mill;
• The museum at Sewerby Hall;
• Goole Museum.

For more information on these sites visit the museums website, and for information on the aims and objectives of the Museums Service go to our Mission Statement.

What types of volunteering roles are available within the Museums Service?

Most of the museum sites have volunteering opportunities, although there is currently no volunteer team at the Treasure House and Beverley Art Gallery. However, there is a Friends of Beverley Art Gallery group which you can join if you would like to be more involved here.

Although the volunteer roles vary from one museum to another the types of opportunities generally include:

• research and preparation of exhibitions;
• documentation of collection objects;
• publicising the museum;
• practical assistance around the museum;
• gathering oral histories;
• room stewarding.

What are the basic requirements to volunteer for the Museums Service?

To volunteer with the Museums Service you primarily need to have a keen interest in heritage and culture. No previous experience is necessary but we do ask that if you undertake a particular task you must be prepared to see it through to completion.

What is the timescale for volunteering with the Museums Service?

There is no set timescale for volunteering with the Museums Service, and no requirement for commitment to particular times, unless you are participating in a room stewarding rota. However, researching an exhibition has its own timescale, to which you need to be able to make a commitment if this is your area of interest.

Is training available?

Training is available if required, and training courses in selected areas of museum management are occasionally provided.

Are there any current opportunities available to volunteer with the Museums Service?

For information on the museum sites that are currently recruiting to their volunteer teams visit the  volunteering page of the museums website.

What do I do if I want more information?

For more information on volunteering at any of the museum sites visit the getting involved page of the museums website. Alternatively you can go to the museums home page and follow the links to the volunteering page of any of the museum sites that particularly interest you.