Derby Museums

Do you get a kick out of making someone’s day with a helping hand, a smidge of encouragement or a fantastic fact? This may be the role for you! Join the team that has been nominated for best welcome in the '2022 Museum & Heritage Awards' and share your time, knowledge and skills with visitors as they explore and ‘make’ around the museum.

Time commitment 

The Museum of Making is open from Tuesday to Sunday. We will work with you to accommodate your preferences and availability. 

Location 

The Museum of Making is open from Tuesday to Sunday. We hope you can give at least a couple of hours of your time to maximise your experience. Working with you to accommodate your preferences and availability. 

Tasks 

• You enjoy talking and engaging with the general public
• You like to hear and tell stories around our collections and the heritage of the building (our visitors have lots to tell!)
• You are passionate about Derby Museums and would enjoy championing our collections, values and aims
• You are a friendly and enthusiastic individual
• You are interested in heritage and historic collections
• You have a thirst for learning new things

This role can be combined with: 

• public programming activities such as Tours or Lifelong learning activities 
• gallery making
• temporary exhibition support 

Training: 

We will provide you with training to ensure you feel happy, safe and confident in your role. Get an introduction to the spaces, people and the role by attending our site volunteer introductions.

Proposed dates for these are shared in the "Getting Started" section. Click on the link to browse available times or get in touch to explore alternatives. 

With you in mind: 

Count on our Visitor Experience Assistant Team and Site Managers to be your point of contact once in place.

Hope, the Coproduction Volunteer Coordinator, manage your overall volunteering experience, supporting you with Wellness Action Plans and/or Goal Setting Plans to discuss any physical, mental health or vocational needs or goals.   

Volunteering can help you to gain new skills, boost your confidence, make new friends, and feel connected to a community of people. It is rewarding to be part of a network of people supporting a charity by creating wonderful things and experiences together. We'll provide you with hot drinks, occasional biscuits, and reasonable travel expenses. 

Do you enjoy mending clothes, or working with textiles? This may be the role for you! Join our talented team of facilitators to create a repair hub at the Museum of Making and inspire visitors to mend, make and give their clothes a new lease of life!  

Time commitment 

The Make Do and Mend Session will take place on the third Saturday of each month for an afternoon. This programme will start in September. 

Location 

The Museum of Making.

Tasks 

• You have skills in textiles and mending techniques, or a willingness to learn new skills
• You enjoy sharing skills and chatty craft environments
• You have a thirst for learning new things
• You are passionate about sustainable fashions
• You are a friendly and enthusiastic individual
• You are passionate about Derby Museums and would enjoy championing our collections, values and aims

Training: 

We will provide you with training to ensure you feel happy, safe and confident in your role. Get an introduction to the spaces, people and the role by attending our site volunteer introductions. In September we'll host a 'Find out More' session for volunteers to ask questions, learn more information about the volunteer role and meet the team!

Proposed dates for site inductions are shared in the "Getting Started" section. Click on the link to browse available times or get in touch to explore alternatives. 

With you in mind: 

Count on our Visitor Experience Assistant Team, facilitators and Site Managers to be your point of contact once in place.

Hope, the Coproduction Volunteer Coordinator, manage your overall volunteering experience, supporting you with Wellness Action Plans and/or Goal Setting Plans to discuss any physical, mental health or vocational needs or goals.   

Volunteering can help you to gain new skills, boost your confidence, make new friends, and feel connected to a community of people. It is rewarding to be part of a network of people supporting a charity by creating wonderful things and experiences together. We'll provide you with hot drinks, occasional biscuits, and reasonable travel expenses. 

Joseph Wright: A Life on Paper Volunteering- Become a Wright Ambassador! 

Our exciting summer exhibition Joseph Wright: A Life on Paper runs between May - September 2025, and we're looking for volunteers who might like to help share his story and encourage visitors to bring out their inner artist!

The show will exhibit works on paper by Joe normally only accessible through the Study centre, as well as sharing stories about his early life, career and drawing methods. With dramatic installations, interactivity activities and new research, it will be an exciting exhibition for all volunteers who are fans of his work.

How you’ll be making a difference

 As a volunteer, you will play a vital role in engaging and giving visibility to hidden narratives within the artworks, engaging visitors in discussion and storytelling and encouraging visitors to discover their inner artist with many of the creativity stations throughout the exhibition. 

Proposed time donation

We would be grateful for any time you could give to facilitating the experience for our visitors. The exhibition will take place between May to September 2025 and volunteering can take place any time within Museum opening hours. We will work with you and other volunteers to accommodate your preference and availability wherever possible.

Location

Derby Museum & Art Gallery in the second floor temporary exhibitions space.

Tasks

• Interact with visitors around the museum to share your passion, knowledge, enthusiasm or curiosity for the work of Joseph Wright
• Be an attentive ear and engage with curious visitors through sharing knowledge, curiosities, anecdotes, personal favourites, hidden features and other unexpected delights.
• Encouraging visitors to find their inner artists with some of the creative activities on gallery.
• Join the team in making sure all areas are clean and tidy, ensuring all spaces are welcoming, safe and ready for visitors.
• Promote activities, fundraising initiatives, events, and commercial events – acting as ambassadors for Derby Museums.
• Be there for people. Proactively looking out for those who need assistance or guidance.

This role may be for you if you are: 

• Friendly, helpful, and love talking to people and listening to their stories  
• Wanting to engage and communicate with others and share knowledge, passion, enthusiasm and/or curiosity for an exciting Joseph Wright collection
• Are willing to be creative and have a go at some of the activities on gallery
• Intrigued and excited to know more
• Someone who takes pride and is enthusiastic for Derby and Derby Museums.

Getting started

• We proudly commit to enriching our team by progressing diversity, inclusion, relevance and accessibility into all we do - including volunteer engagement. We especially welcome applications from the global majority, and we'll work with you to break barriers. Get in touch if you'd prefer to talk in person about volunteering.
• We will provide training to ensure you feel happy, safe and confident in your role. Your training will cover themes within the works, historical context, as well as the volunteer role within the galleries and basic health and safety within the space. 
• The "Getting Started" section shares proposed dates for training, including a talk on Joseph Wright by our Head of Exhibitions and gallery inductions. Expect an email from us beforehand should this be your first time volunteering within our spaces. 

Getting support

• Hope Slater coordinates your volunteering experience at Derby Museums. They can support you with Wellness Action Plans for any physical or mental health needs, arrange volunteer socials, or discuss personal goals linked to the opportunity.

Inspire people so they leave appreciating and admiring the natural world around them by supporting us within the Notice Nature Feel Joy gallery. 

Time commitment 

The Museum & Art Gallery is open from Tuesday to Sunday. We hope you can give at least a couple of hours of your time to maximise your experience. Working with you to accommodate your preferences and availability. 

Location 

This role takes place primarily in Notice Nature Feel Joy gallery at the Museum and Art Gallery, although Object Walks can happen across all galleries.  

What you may be doing:

• Friendly, helpful, and love talking to people and listening to their stories  
• Wanting to engage and communicate with others and share knowledge, passion, enthusiasm and/or curiosity for the natural collections
• Aware and sensitive towards the approach of the gallery – one that welcomes discussion, sharing and empathy   
• Intrigued and excited to know more
• Someone who takes pride and is enthusiastic for Derby and Derby Museums. 

This role can be combined with: 

• public programming activities such as Tours or Lifelong learning activities 
• gallery making
• co-produced activities
• temporary exhibition support 

Share with us any areas of personal interest that you want to develop, along with your existing experience, to work with you to create an enriching and meaningful role.  

Training: 

We will provide you with training to ensure you feel happy, safe and confident in your role. Get an introduction to the spaces, people and the role by attending our site volunteer introductions.

Proposed dates for these are shared in the "Getting Started" section. Click on the link to browse available times or get in touch to explore alternatives. 

Getting support: 

Count on our Visitor Experience Assistant Team and Site Managers to be your point of contact once in place.

Hope, the Coproduction Volunteer Coordinator, manages your overall volunteering experience, supporting you with Wellness Action Plans and/or Goal Setting Plans to discuss any physical, mental health or vocational needs or goals.   

Help us inspire visitors with our archaeological collection and in co producing the new gallery! 

What you may be doing:

Time commitment 

The Museum & Art Gallery is open from Tuesday to Sunday. We hope you can give at least a couple of hours of your time to maximise your experience. Working with you to accommodate your preferences and availability. 

Location 

This role takes place primarily in Archaeology gallery at the Museum and Art Gallery, although Object Walks can happen across all galleries.  

This role may be for you if you are: 

• Friendly, helpful, and love talking to people and listening to their stories  
• Wanting to engage and communicate with others and share knowledge, passion, enthusiasm and/or curiosity for the archaeology collections
• Aware and sensitive towards the approach of the gallery – one that welcomes discussion, sharing and empathy   
• Intrigued and excited to know more
• Someone who takes pride and is enthusiastic for Derby and Derby Museums. 

This role can be combined with: 

• public programming activities such as Tours or Lifelong learning activities 
• gallery making
• co-produced activities
• temporary exhibition support 

Share with us any areas of personal interest that you want to develop, along with your existing experience, to work with you to create an enriching and meaningful role.  

Training: 

We will provide you with training to ensure you feel happy, safe and confident in your role. Get an introduction to the spaces, people and the role by attending our site volunteer introductions.

Proposed dates for these are shared in the "Getting Started" section. Click on the link to browse available times or get in touch to explore alternatives. 

Getting support: 

Count on our Visitor Experience Assistant Team and Site Managers to be your point of contact once in place.

Hope, the Coproduction Volunteer Coordinator, manages your overall volunteering experience, supporting you with Wellness Action Plans and/or Goal Setting Plans to discuss any physical, mental health or vocational needs or goals.   

Join us in giving the best welcome to all who come to see Pickford's House - Come an inspire visitors with the Georgian architecture, encourage visits to the beautiful garden and of course the fantastic Tiny World of Toy Theatres exhibition! 

What you would be doing: 

• Friendly, helpful, and love talking to people and listening to their stories  
• Wanting to engage and communicate with others and share knowledge, passion, enthusiasm and/or curiosity for the subject area
• Intrigued and excited to know more
• Someone who takes pride and is enthusiastic for Derby and Derby Museums

Time commitment 

Pickford's House is open from Tuesday to Saturday. We will work with you to accommodate your preferences and availability. 

Location 

This role is in the Pickford's House site. Due to it being a Grade listed building, please note that Pickford's House has accessibility restrictions to its upper floors. 

Training: 

We will provide you with training to ensure you feel happy, safe and confident in your role. Get an introduction to the spaces, people and the role by attending our site volunteer introductions.

Proposed dates for these are shared in the "Getting Started" section. Click on the link to browse available times or get in touch to explore alternatives. 

With you in mind: 

Count on our Visitor Experience Assistant Team and Site Managers to be your point of contact once in place.

Hope, the Coproduction Volunteer Coordinator, manages your overall volunteering experience, supporting you with Wellness Action Plans and/or Goal Setting Plans to discuss any physical, mental health or vocational needs or goals.  

Volunteering can help you to gain new skills, boost your confidence, make new friends, and feel connected to a community of people. It is rewarding to be part of a network of people supporting a charity by creating wonderful things and experiences together. We'll provide you with hot drinks, occasional biscuits, and travel expenses (up to the value of £7 and with the provision of a receipt). 

Come and lend a hand in the beautiful Pickford's Garden! 

What you would be doing: 

• Enjoy being outside 
• Enjoy gardening and caring for natural spaces
• Are willing to learn about the plants in the garden and how best to care for them from our staff team
• Someone who takes pride in and is enthusiastic for Derby and Derby Museums

Time commitment 

Pickford's House is open from Tuesday to Saturday. We will work with you to accommodate your preferences and availability. 

Location 

This role is in the Pickford's House site. Due to it being a Grade listed building, please note that Pickford's House has accessibility restrictions to its upper floors. 

Training: 

We will provide you with training to ensure you feel happy, safe and confident in your role. An induction will be provided and ongoing staff support from the Visitor Experience team. We will organise your induction for a time that suits you! 

Gardening gloves, tools and other equipment will be provided to keep you safe and comfortable whilst volunteering. 

With you in mind: 

Count on our Visitor Experience Assistant Team and Site Managers to be your point of contact once in place.

Hope, the Coproduction Volunteer Coordinator, manages your overall volunteering experience, supporting you with Wellness Action Plans and/or Goal Setting Plans to discuss any physical, mental health or vocational needs or goals.  

Volunteering can help you to gain new skills, boost your confidence, make new friends, and feel connected to a community of people. It is rewarding to be part of a network of people supporting a charity by creating wonderful things and experiences together. We'll provide you with hot drinks, occasional biscuits, and travel expenses (up to the value of £7 and with the provision of a receipt).