Volunteering & Work Experience
Would you like to get involved with the exciting and interesting work of Beamish Museum? If so, we would love to hear from you.
Beamish has hundreds of volunteers who make a huge contribution to all areas of the Museum in a wide range of diverse roles, and we are always looking for more enthusiastic volunteers to join the team.
- Volunteering
- What do volunteers do at Beamish?
- Current volunteering roles and opportunities
- How to apply to volunteer
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Work Experience
- How to apply for work experience
- Contact us
Volunteering
Why volunteer?
- Share your skills and knowledge
- Learn new things
- Make new friends
- Strengthen your CV
- Be part of a friendly team
What do volunteers do at Beamish?
We have a large number of volunteers who contribute to the running of Beamish across all areas in a wide range of roles.
This includes engaging the visitors in the period areas, delivering family learning activities, assisting the Curatorial and Costume Teams behind the scenes and much more.
What current volunteering opportunities are available?
The volunteering roles that are currently available are listed below. If you can’t find anything that matches your availability, skills or interests, please do check again periodically as this page is regularly updated.
Current roles - click on each link to download a role profile:
- Youth Group Assistant (Learning Team)
- Reminiscence Sessions Volunteer (Learning Team)
- Costume Department Assistant
How can I apply to become a volunteer?
Beamish is committed to ensuring good practice in the recruitment, selection, induction and retention of volunteers. We aim to ensure that volunteers are matched to suitable roles.
Our recruitment procedure consists of the following steps:
Step 1 - Application Form
Please complete an application form and return to Sarah Leach, Volunteer & Placement Coordinator. You should receive an acknowledgement within 3 weeks. Click here to download a Volunteering Application Form.
Step 2 - Attend a New Volunteers Day including informal interview
We will be running New Volunteer days on the following dates:
- Saturday 21st April
- Thursday 10th May
Further dates will be advertised here when available. For more information please click here.
Step 3 - Checks and costume provision necessary for role
For some volunteering roles it is necessary for the following to take place:
- Reference checks
- Criminal Records Bureau checks (CRBs)
- Provision of period costume
- DVLA D4 medical for safety critical roles
There are no fees for any of the above.
Step 4 - Arrange Start Date
Once you've been accepted and had any neccessary checks for your chosen role, the Volunteer & Placement Coordinator will arrange a start date convenient to you and the team you will be working with.
Step 5 - Induction and trial period
You will receive a warm welcome from our staff and volunteers and an induction into your role. After your first four weeks of volunteering, the Volunteer Coordinator will contact you to make sure that the role you have started in is suitable.
Frequently Asked Questions - Volunteering
How old do you have to be to volunteer? You must be 16 years or over to volunteer.
Does the Museum pay expenses? We are sorry but we don’t currently pay transport, subsistence or childcare costs.
Do volunteers have to commit to a certain number of hours/days? No. We appreciate any amount of time you can give us as a volunteer, and while we would ask you to let us know when you will be coming in, there is no need to commit to a fixed amount of time.
Is any experience required? No, we do not require any specific experience for volunteering roles. The Museum will provide training as required.
Work Experience
Can you do work experience at Beamish? Yes. We can provide work experience opportunities for school students, university students and also long-term work placements.
What would I be doing on work experience at Beamish?
We can provide work experience in the following areas:
- Engagement Team - helping to demonstrate the historic exhibits to visitors in period costume.
- Learning Team – assisting with development and delivery of activities for schools and families.
- Placements with the Curatorial Team and the Costume Team are also sometimes available to university students.
How can I apply to do Work Experience at Beamish?
School students: Please write a letter to the Museum, including your name, address, school and the dates that you would like to come on work experience. If you have a favourite area of the Museum, please tell us and we will try to place you there.
Send your letter to:
Volunteer & Placement Coordinator, Beamish Museum, Durham, DH9 0RG.
We will send you a letter in reply to let you know if we can take you on the dates you have requested and also to give you further details.
University students: Please complete and return a placement application form. You will receive an acknowledgement within 3 weeks.
Long-term work based placements: Please complete and return a placement application form. You will receive an acknowledgement within 3 weeks.
Contact Us
If you've any questions regarding volunteering at Beamish, please contact Sarah Leach, Volunteer & Placement Co-ordinator:
Email: sarahleach@beamish.org.uk
Tel: 0191 370 4069