Abbey Quarter Tour Sweeper volunteer (RM)

Reading Abbey Quarter Tour Sweeper volunteer

Location: Reading Museum & Abbey Quarter 

Suitable for volunteers aged 18 and over

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Role Description

Why we want you

Reading Museum runs a regular programme of outdoor guided tours for the public and additional tours for pre-booked groups.

Our guided tours are vital in bringing the Abbey Quarter’s rich history to life for our visitors. Our volunteers help to share our enthusiasm for the site where King Henry I was buried, Jane Austen was taught and Oscar Wilde was imprisoned.
We offer an opportunity to inspire visitors to discover the history of the town and its people through its historic buildings and objects.

Tours usually take place weekly on Saturdays from April to September, so shifts are rostered for our volunteers usually 10:30am – 1:00pm, and we offer occasional afternoon tours 1:30 – 4:00pm.

We also take bookings for private tours, by arrangement.

The tour starts at Reading Museum, and participants are led to explore the wider Abbey Quarter, including the Abbey ruins.

What you will be doing 

  • Supporting the Tour Guide to promote the best enjoyment of the tour for the participants e.g.
  • ensure the safety of tour participants by being aware of the environment
  • ensure the group moves at the right pace to keep them together
  • giving any other appropriate assistance as may be reasonably requested

 

  • Becoming familiar with and following Reading Museum’s health and safety policy at all times

  • Attending tour guide training and workshops, contributing feedback to help us improve how we can adapt tours as necessary to meet the needs of different audiences, including any access and inclusion requirements participants may have.

  • Keeping up to date with the visitor programme on offer through Reading Museum to offer tailored suggestions of further activities participants may enjoy.

Along the way you will learn the content of the tour, and may one day apply to lead the tours yourself.

This role will suit you if you are:

  • Enthusiastic, warm and friendly
  • Willing to engage with a wide variety of members of the public and be understanding about a range of needs to meet our inclusive and welcoming outlook
  • Interested in history
  • Confident in talking to a large group of people and being heard in a busy area
  • Have some experience in a public-facing role
  • Have good time management skills
  • Flexible, able to go with the flow
  • Enjoy being outdoors – tours usually go ahead in most weather conditions (unless extreme conditions)

What you will get out of it

  • Learning about the rich history of the Reading Abbey Quarter, the events that have taken place, the people who have lived here and visited the sites
  • Become part of a friendly team and make new friends
  • Meet a wide range of people
  • Develop your communication skills and gain some new skills for your CV
  • Use your existing skill set in a creative and fun way
  • The opportunity to become a tour guide in due course

How much time it will take up?

You will become part of a team of tour guides and sweepers. Our current volunteers donate an average of one shift a fortnight.

You will be sent a list of Guided Tour dates in advance and invited to share your availability, and the role Supervisor will confirm the rota as soon as possible.

The length of a typical shift is 2.5 hours and the tour itself is 1.5hrs long.

What training and support we provide

Reading Museum prides itself on being awarded Investing in Volunteers accreditation in 2023. We will provide full training and ongoing support to all volunteers to help them do well in this role.

We can offer training for this role on the mornings of Wednesday 6th March or Friday 15th March 2024.

Who does the role report to?

Reading Museum’s Learning Officer, Guja Bandini

To apply

Please complete your volunteer registration form on our volunteering platform.

 

If you are using a mobile or tablet, once you click ‘Fill in an Application’, look out for the suggestion ‘It looks like you are on a mobile device. For a better experience on smart phones, go to Mobile Application Form’ and click on the link it suggests.

 

*Please ensure you tick Reading Abbey Quarter Tour Sweeper volunteer’ in your ‘Interests’ section under My profile, by 9am on Monday 19th February

When you are happy with your application, please don’t forget to click SUBMIT – otherwise we will never receive your form! 

 

We sometimes find that more volunteers apply for the role than we have vacancies. You are welcome to attach your CV if you wish, but please include key relevant  

information when answering the application form questions, as this may be used if we need to shortlist from a larger group of applicants. 

 

Existing volunteers - If you are already registered to volunteer with Museums Partnership Reading, please log in to the volunteering platform, click on My Profile, select the ‘Interests’ section, and ensure you tick the box next to Reading Abbey Quarter Tour Sweeper volunteer’ by 9am on Monday 19th February.

 

Matching to the role

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