Museums Partnership Reading (The MERL & Reading Museum)

Archives Volunteer – Evacuee Memoirs Project

Location: Virtual volunteering for The MERL (remote volunteering from home)

Why we want you 

The MERL is currently organising a volunteer-driven project that aims to provide easier access to the Evacuee Archive.

The Museum of English Rural Life’s Evacuee Archive contains a wide range of research material relating to child evacuees during the Second World War. The collection contains a total of 383 memoirs written by evacuees on various subjects, such as the journey away from home, schooling, recreational activities, how it felt to live with another family, and what it was like to return to their own family at the end of the war.

What you will be doing 

Researchers frequently enquire about our Evacuee Archive of nearly 400 rural Evacuee Memoirs, but we don’t know enough detail about the subjects the memoirs cover.

The documents, some of which are hand-written, are currently being scanned into a digital format, which means this volunteering role can be carried out remotely from the museum. Memoirs will be emailed to you in the form of a .pdf file.

We will ask you to read through selected memoirs, summarising their contents in two or three paragraphs. We will ask you to take note of key information such as geographical locations and building names, along with general themes such as whether the child had any hobbies, or received education during their evacuation.

We will ask you to try to keep these descriptions brief at between 300-400 words, or about a paragraph if the text is quite short.

These summaries will then be added to the Museum’s collections database, allowing future researchers to search through the memoirs by an individual’s name, place of evacuation or subject area.

We are looking for a team of five volunteers to help us.

We will deliver some training and provide tips to help you start writing your summaries.

This role will suit you if you are

• Able to work both independently, but also enjoy being part of a team
• Interested in rural history, particularly during the Second World War
• Enthusiastic, proactive and curious
• Able to explain historic information through excellent, clear writing skills

What you will gain in return  

• This project will help you discover more about the lives of children who were evacuated to the countryside during the Second World War

• Develop your editing skills, learning how to write a written summary that will greatly assist future researchers

• Gain some new skills for your CV

Who does the role report to?
Joanna Hulin, Reading Room Assistant, based at The MERL  j.e.hulin@reading.ac.uk

How much time will it take up? 

We suggest a few hours a week, to help us summarise the collection of nearly 400 memoirs

To apply

Please complete your volunteer registration form on our volunteering platform Better Impact by Sunday 7th March
*Please ensure you tick ‘Archives Volunteer (MERL) Evacuee Memoirs Project’ in your ‘Interests’ section under My profile, when registering.

Matching to the Role

We are fortunate to have perennial interest from prospective volunteers hoping to volunteer with our archives for fascinating projects such as this, so initially we will select five volunteers to help in our first cohort.

To help us select our first cohort, if from your application we can see you look a good match for the role, we will invite you to read an example memoir and summarise its contents as described above.

We will invite you to email your example summary to sheila.fisher@reading.ac.uk no later than Thursday 11 March.

We will let you know by Friday 12 March if we will be inviting you to join the first cohort.

You would also be invited to a Welcome meeting, which will take place on Zoom on Monday 15 March at 2pm, where you will be given more detailed guidance, e.g. what to do if the memoir has ancillary material such as photographs, and general tips on writing a great summary.

We have also scheduled a progress meeting two weeks into the project on Monday 29 March at 2pm, where you could again meet fellow volunteers, and swap tips.

Community Engagement Volunteer - High Street Heritage Action Zone

Host Museum: Volunteering for Reading Museum

Why we want you:

Museums Partnership Reading is a partner organisation in the High Street Heritage Action Zone programme, a four-year programme funded by Historic England.
Reading was selected as one of 68 areas in England to receive a share of the fund.
As a result, Reading Borough Council has been awarded £806,500 to transform the high streets in three conservation areas in the town centre; the East end of Oxford Road, St Mary’s Butts & Castle Street and Market Place & London Street.

The HSHAZ programme has three complementary strands; physical interventions to restore and repair building and improve the public realm, a programme of cultural activities to celebrate the high streets and their importance to local communities, and community engagement which give local people a key role in deciding what work they want to see happening on their high streets.

We are looking for a team of six volunteers who can help us with this community engagement strand.

More information about the project is available at www.reading.gov.uk/hshaz

What you will be doing:

Starting in March the first part of the project, volunteers will be involved with the evaluation stage of our Cultural Pilot Project ‘Re-imaging the high street through your stories’. This will include:

• Working with Sarah Goad (the Community Engagement & Cultural Officer) and the University of Reading research team to plan methods for and then deliver the collection of contributor and general public feedback on the pilot project
• Training will be provided by the UoR team, with opportunities to work alongside the research team before working independently. (All location work will be done in pairs)
• Depending on pandemic restrictions, this could involve in-person survey and collecting feedback along the Oxford Road, or virtual engagement via video calls or phone calls. You may also be asked to send emails on behalf of the project, to collect feedback and circulate online surveys
• There will also be online meetings with the evaluation teams to feedback about the process and exchange ideas, as well as report back on feedback
• The work that you do to support the evaluation stages will help to inform the end of project report that we will send to our funders, Historic England

After this pilot stage, further roles will include:

• • Working alongside the Community Engagement & Cultural Officer and the Conservation Officer, to support engagement work for the physical improvement strand of the programme
  • Helping to establish links with commercial/cultural and community groups to help foster engagement and build new relationships
  • Supporting community research, including: face to face interviews, survey collecting, evaluation, delivery of communications and online engagement support
  • Helping to empower local residents within the communities to take an active role in their town’s development
  • Assisting with the delivery of consultation sessions/workshops with the community
  • Social media planning and digital engagement support

This role will suit you if you are:

• Able to work both independently and as part of a team
• Interested in local history and heritage
• Enjoy meeting new people
• Interested in helping give the community a voice
• Confident approaching and engaging strangers
• Sympathetic, polite and an interested listener
• Able to learn and explain clearly project information, aims and objectives
• Passionate about Reading and it’s communities
  
  

*We are particularly interested in recruiting volunteers who live in or work with the communities in the three HSHAZ zones we are working in.

What you will gain in return:

• Training at the beginning and throughout your role
• Become part of a friendly team
• Learn more about the history, heritage and communities of Reading
• Contribute to the development of the HSHAZ project
• Develop your community engagement and research skills
• Gain new skills and experiences for your CV

How much time will it take up?
Successful community engagement relies on building good relationships and trust in return.

For this reason, we ideally need volunteers who can commit for a significant period of the project over the 3 year period 2021-2024 so that they can establish familiar positions within the communities.

We are ideally looking for volunteers who can commit at least 1-2 hours a week.

However, we can adapt the roles to suit commitments and preference, and if you would prefer a less-involved role, you will be able to support with tasks such as survey collecting and communications distribution on a more ad-hoc basis.

Who does the role report to? Community Engagement & Cultural Officer - Sarah.Goad@reading.gov.uk

To apply

If you do not already volunteer for Museums Partnership Reading:

Please complete your volunteer registration form on our volunteering platform Better Impact by Sunday 7th March

The link can be found under https://www.readingmuseum.org.uk/explore/volunteer-reading-museum  or follow the link here: http://bttr.im/tqvqp  
*Please ensure you tick ‘Community Engagement Volunteer - HSHAZ’ in your ‘Interests’ section under My profile, when registering.

If you already are an Accepted MPR volunteer: Please tick as explained just above, and update your ‘Additional Info’ section to reflect why you wish to be considered for this role by Sunday 7th March.

Matching to the role

If we think you are a match for this role, we will invite you to a 30-minute informal interview with Sarah Goad and Sheila Fisher (Museum Partnership Reading Volunteer Coordinator) via Zoom (Provisional date: Tuesday 16th March), where you can have an opportunity to tell us about your interests and experience, and ask us some questions.

Once the team has been formed, there will be a kick-off meeting on Monday 22nd March at 11am. The meeting will take between 30 minutes and 1 hour, and we welcome involvement and questions from volunteers.

Event volunteers help us to deliver a programme of fun, friendly and fabulous special events all year, either at the Museums or out and about in the community.

Location: Reading Museum and Reading Abbey Quarter; The Museum of English Rural Life on Redlands Road, Reading 

For example on 19th June 2021 we are looking for Event Stewards to help at Waterfest

https://www.readingabbeyquarter.org.uk/visit/2021-900th-abbey-anniversary

To apply

Please complete your volunteer registration form here on our volunteering platform Better Impact. There is no set deadline for applying, because events take place throughout the year and there are plenty of opportunities to help out at our events.

*Please ensure you tick ‘Events Volunteer’ in your ‘Interests’ section under My profile, when registering. This will alert us to the fact that you are keen to help in this area.

Matching to the role

If we think you are a match for this role, we will invite you to a 30-minute informal interview with a member of the team and Sheila Fisher (Museum Partnership Reading Volunteer Coordinator) via Zoom, where you can have an opportunity to tell us about your interests and experience, and ask us some questions.

MERL Visitor Welcome Volunteer

Specific roles to support the Front of House team during the ongoing covid-19 pandemic
Location: The Museum of English Rural Life 

Why we want you 

• You will help our Front of House team to provide an exceptional welcome to reassure visitors returning to us after the Covid-19 lockdown
• You will help support the smooth operation of the front of house area
• You will receive full training on our measures to keep you safe and to minimise risks for our visitors

What you will be doing 

• Greeting all pre-booked museum visitors, and researchers using the library and archives, in a welcoming and friendly manner 
• Helping to inform visitors of our social distancing measures and the ways in which we plan to keep everybody safe 
• Encouraging visitors to make a donation  
• Liaising with the Front of House team to try to accommodate those who drop by and have not pre-booked

You will be based in one of two allocated posts. Locations include courtyard greeter and gallery greeter

Ideally you will stand to greet volunteers, but chairs can be provided if needed.
In milder months you may be asked to welcome visitors in the courtyard, but you will be sheltered from the elements in the courtyard by a gazebo.

A rest break will be arranged mid-shift

What you will gain in return  

• An opportunity to work in a heritage environment 
• The opportunity to assist and communicate with a friendly, diverse audience
• Build on your customer care, service and communication skills
• Being part of a team and developing new contacts 

This role will suit you if you are

• A people person  
• Able to work as part of a team  
• Confident and able to reassure others
• Enthusiastic, outgoing and polite  
• Willing to engage with a variety of people
• Self-motivated and pro-active  
• A good communicator  
• Experienced in a customer-facing role  

How much time will it take up? 
Shifts will be from 9:30* to 13:00 and from 13:00 to 16:30 on days we are open to the public (Tuesday to Sunday).  

*On Saturdays and Sundays, the museum opens the doors at 10am, so please arrive just before 10am.

This role is available on a rota, and you may like to sign up to volunteer once a week.

This can be flexible, as volunteers will help throughout the month.

To apply

Please complete your volunteer registration form here on our volunteering platform Better Impact. Please register your interest for this role by Friday 7 May.

*Please ensure you tick ‘MERL Visitor Welcome Volunteer’ in your ‘Interests’ section under My profile, when registering. 

Matching to the role

If we think you are a match for this role, we will invite you to a 30-minute informal interview with a member of the team and Sheila Fisher (Museum Partnership Reading Volunteer Coordinator) via Zoom, where you can have an opportunity to tell us about your interests and experience, and ask us some questions.

Visitor Welcome Volunteer

Location: Reading Museum

Role description

Why we want you?

You will help our gallery team to provide an exceptional welcome to reassure visitors returning to us after the Covid-19 lockdown. You will support staff in welcoming visitors and generating income for the Museum. You will also be helping to complete regular surveys, interviewing visitors about their trip to the Museum

We are looking for confident and friendly individuals who have the skills and personality to promote the museum whilst providing an excellent welcome experience for our visitors.

You will receive full training on our measures to keep you safe and to minimise risks for our visitors during the ongoing pandemic.

What does a Visitor Welcome volunteer do?

• Supporting a dedicated and experienced gallery team by welcoming visitors
• Encouraging visitors to make a donation and explaining how their visitor donations will help the service 
• Helping to inform visitors of our social distancing measures and the ways in which we plan to keep everybody safe 
• You will be based either at the museum entrance or in one of the galleries
• Ideally you will stand to greet volunteers, but chairs can be provided if needed
• A rest break will be arranged mid-shift

This role will suit you if you are:

• A people person
• Able to work as part of a team
• Confident, outgoing and polite
• Enthusiastic
• Willing to engage with members of the public
• Self-motivated and pro-active
• Have good communication skills
• Experience in a customer-facing role (such as fund-raising or sales) would be useful, but not essential as full training and support will be given

  What will you get in return?

• Meet a wide range of people

• Develop your communication skills
• Learn more about museum visitors’ services
• Being part of a friendly team and make new friends
• Gain some new skills for your CV

How much time will you need to give?

Shifts will be from 10:00 to 13:00 and from 13:00 to 16:00 on days we are open to the public (Tuesday to Saturday).  This role is available on a rota, and you may like to sign up to volunteer once a week. This can be flexible, as volunteers will help throughout the month.

Who does the role report to?

Visitor Services Officer - Lucy.Griffin@reading.gov.uk

To apply

Please complete your volunteer registration form on our volunteering platform Better Impact by Friday 7^th May. The link can be found under https://www.readingmuseum.org.uk/explore/volunteer-reading-museum  or follow the link here: http://bttr.im/tqvqp  
*Please ensure you tick ‘Visitor Welcome Volunteer (RM) in your ‘Interests’ section under My profile, when registering.

Matching to the role

If we think you are a match for this role, we will invite you to a 30-minute informal interview with Sheila Fisher (Museum Partnership Reading Volunteer Coordinator) and a members of the visitor services team via Zoom, where you can have an opportunity to tell us about your interests and experience, and ask us some questions.

Volunteer Researcher - Reading People and Institutions Project

Location: Virtual volunteering for Museums Partnership Reading 

Why we want you 

Do you enjoying finding out about local Reading people and businesses?

We are looking for a team of six volunteers to research people and institutions from Reading found in the Museum of English Rural Life and Reading Museum's collections, producing information that can be added to Wikipedia.

What you will be doing

Objects donated to the museums come with some basic information about the donors, but we want to expand on these details to create short biographies.

We particularly hope to find and explore stories that reflect the diversity of race, age, gender, disability, religion and sexual orientation in the community. You can find examples of basic biographies here: https://merl.reading.ac.uk/merl-collections/search-and-browse/persons-institutions/

We will provide you with a list of people and institutions who are connected to the museum collections to research.
We also encourage you to discover other related people for yourselves, and explore your own interests.

We will deliver some training to help you start your research, and provide tips about top research websites.

This role will suit you if you are

• Able to work both independently and as part of a team
• Interested in local history, persons and institutions
• Enthusiastic, proactive and curious
• Able to explain historic information through excellent, clear writing skills

What you will gain in return  

• Discover more about people and institutions of Reading

• Develop your research skills, learning how to do online research and use local research facilities
• Learn how to add content to Wikipedia

• Gain some new skills for your CV

Who does the role report to?

Maddie Ding, Collections Officer, Museums Partnership Reading madeleine.ding@reading.ac.uk

How much time will it take up? 

We can offer the opportunity to attend an afternoon’s training on selected dates with an official Wikipedian. Alternatively, the basic training and expectations can be outlined through online training with Maddie Ding, our Collections Officer.

Thereafter you would undertake independent research at home, and where possible in library, archive or museum collections, with the aim of the project finishing during the spring of 2021.

We will organise a kick-off meeting and a progress meeting a few weeks into the project, where you can meet fellow volunteers and swap tips on researching during a pandemic.

To apply

Please complete your volunteer registration form on our volunteering platform Better Impact by Sunday 14^th February
The link can be found under https://www.readingmuseum.org.uk/explore/volunteer-reading-museum  or follow the link here: http://bttr.im/tqvqp  
*Please ensure you tick ‘Volunteer Researcher - Reading People and Institutions Project’ in your ‘Interests’ section under My profile, when registering.

Matching to the role

If we think you are a match for this role, we will invite you to a 30-minute informal interview with Maddie Ding (Collections Officer) and Sheila Fisher (Museum Partnership Reading Volunteer Coordinator) via Zoom (Provisional dates: Tuesday 16^th and Wednesday 17^th February), where you can have an opportunity to tell us about your interests and experience, and ask us some questions.

Once the team has been formed, there will be a kick-off meeting on Monday, 22^nd February at 11am. The meeting will take between 30 minutes and 1 hour, and we welcome involvement and questions from volunteers.

Volunteer Event Steward – 900^th Anniversary of Reading Abbey at Water Fest

Location: Forbury Gardens and Reading Abbey Quarter

Why we want you

We are delighted to announce the return of the much-loved Reading Water Fest on Saturday 19^th June -  this year as the flagship celebration event to mark the 900th anniversary of Reading Abbey.  Water Fest is Reading’s largest free town centre-based community event. It will feature an exciting mix of arts, culture and heritage, through live and digital performances, activities and workshops.

The Abbey’s illustrious history will be brought to life with the Forbury Civil War Camp and Medieval Village where people can experience the sounds and smells of the Quarter’s history.  This accessible one-day event will take place on Saturday 19 June between 11am and 5pm, within the Forbury Gardens, Abbey Ruins and along the River Kennet, celebrating the Abbey’s rich 900 year history and its environmental and heritage connections with Reading’s waterways. 

As with all events this year in the light of the ongoing pandemic, Water Fest will look very different from previous years. The event will be delivered in a stringently Covid-compliant way.  Workshop and interactive activities will be booked in advance and numbers will be limited. Safety measures will necessitate a ticketed system, with reduced capacity and staggered arrival times. 

We are looking for a team of volunteer stewards to support the Reading Borough Council Events Team to help welcome visitors and manage the visitor flow, following the one-way system to reduce pinch-points. The one-way flow is inspired by the success of the Twilight Trails in Forbury Gardens in December.  You may be assigned to a particular activity such as a workshop, or to a specific zone.

All the plans mentioned above are based on the assumption that Reading is in 'Tier 3' or lower in terms of covid restrictions.

What you will be doing

Throughout the shift you may be asked to help with

• Setting up or taking down gazebos and tables
• 'Floating' to check for any issues
• Greeting visitors with a warm welcome, helping and advising
• Ticket checking of arriving visitors for bookable events
• Assisting with an activity (including preparation, re-stocking and clean-up)
• Supervising a particular area
• Managing the movement of people through the one way system
• Cleaning touch-points such as handles for temporary toilets (disposable gloves and equipment will be provided)
• Encouraging visitors to comply with government covid regulations at the time, e.g. mask-wearing, and discouraging large groups from forming

Breaks will be provided during the shift.

https://www.readingabbeyquarter.org.uk/whats-on/abbey-900-reading-water-fest

How much time will it take up?

Please attend the briefing session (approx. 1 hr) on Saturday 12th June at 2pm at the bandstand behind the Maiwand Lion in Forbury Gardens, to explain in more detail what to expect on the day.

You can choose between the morning shift 9am to 2pm or the afternoon shift 2pm to 7pm on the day of event, Saturday 19^th June

What you will gain in return

• Experience of working within a team
• Experience of welcoming visitors of all ages, in an engaging environment
• Learning more about Reading’s history

This role will suit you if you are

• Someone who enjoys variety – the day will involve a variety of tasks and activities
• Able to work as part of a team
• Enthusiastic, outgoing and polite engaging with a friendly and diverse audience
• Self-motivated and pro-active
• Have good communication skills
• Ideally you will already have some experience in a people-facing role

To apply

Please complete your volunteer registration form here on our volunteering platform Better Impact by Monday 31^st May.

*Please ensure you tick ‘Event Steward - Abbey 900 Celebration Event – Waterfest’ in your ‘Interests’ section under My profile, when registering. This will alert us to the fact that you are keen to help at this event.

Matching to the role

If we think you are a match for this role, we will invite you to an informal interview with a member of the Visitor Services Team and Sheila Fisher (Museum Partnership Reading Volunteer Coordinator) via Zoom, where you can have an opportunity to tell us about your interests and experience, and ask us some questions.