Do your one good thing!
The history of the Paralympic Movement is alive with personal stories of courage and determination, humble beginnings and also the power of community. Without the continued support of volunteers, the Paralympic Movement and Games would not have evolved into the global event it is today.
Professor Sir Ludwig Guttmann the founding father of the Paralympic Games is known to have said:
"If I ever did one good thing in my medical career it was to introduce sport into the treatment and rehabilitation of disabled people."
What will your one good thing be?
As it was then, so it is today. Our dedicated volunteers are an integral park of our work. Put simply we cannot do what we do without them!
There are a range of ways in which you can donate your time from engaging visitors with our displays, supporting our learning and engagement programme, researching for the website through to working on our collections. There really is something for everyone!
In exchange for your time you will not only learn more about Paralympic Heritage but you will be joining a community passionate about uncovering and sharing stories about the history of the Paralympic movement. You will have the opportunity to use your existing skills and develop new ones and access to a range of training and volunteer events.
I would like to volunteer
Our Volunteering Opportunities
Archive Project Volunteer - Jean Stone Collection
With the support of our Project Archivist, you will work with a team of volunteers to catalogue the archival collection of Jean Stone MBE, a nationally important disability history collection. Jean Stone MBE was an early female pioneer of the Paralympic Movement who dedicated her life to inclusive sport and helped shape the Paralympics as we know it today - one of the world’s largest, most inspirational sporting events.
Main Tasks:
- Look through archival documents, creating descriptions of what you find, using a guidance document to do this
- Input this information into an Excel document
- Work in a team with the other volunteers
- Share stories with the team, to be used for the NPHT newsletter and website and for an exhibition in spring 2026
Skills/Experience needed:
- Basic knowledge of Excel
- Ability to work as part of a small team
- Good communication skills, both written and verbal
What we can offer you:
- Full training in archive standard cataloguing
- Learn more about Paralympic heritage
- Meet new people or make new friends
- Build your confidence
- Utilise your skills and experience
- See the results of your work in the Buckinghamshire Archives online catalogue, helping researchers in the future
Additional information:
- No previous experience is required
- You will receive a full volunteer induction and training
- We will require two references
- You will be reimbursed for reasonable out of office expenses
2-3 hours to one day a week, timings are flexible between August 2025 and March 2026
Collections Volunteer - Box Listing
This is an exciting role for anyone with a passion for history and conserving the past. As a Box Listing Volunteer you will work closely with our Collections Officer to catalogue and preserve items in our collection, uncovering a trove of Paralympic stories.
The role involves:
- Cataloguing items in our physical collection
- Uncovering the history of the Paralympic games
The role is ideal for anyone that:
- Has a passion for history and conserving the past
- Is interested in a career in curation
Volunteers will be given a full introduction and provided support throughout their work with us through training opportunities and regular catch-ups.
Collections Volunteer - Digitising
In the role of Collections Volunteer - Digitising, you can help to uncover and preserve the history of the Paralympics by digitising items in our collection and sharing the Paralympic story with the world.
The role involves:
- Working closely with our Collections Officer to share our physical collection online
- Making our collection more accessible
The role is ideal for anyone that:
- Has a passion for history and conserving the past
- In interested in a career in curation
Volunteers will be given a full introduction and provided support throughout their work with us through training opportunities and regular catch-ups.
Collections Volunteer - 3D Scanning
In the role of Collections Volunteer - 3D Scanning, you will work closely with our Collections Officer using specialist software to make our collection much more accessible to a wider audience. Through 3D scanning, visitors are able to virtually handle our objects and turn them around in a similar way to if they were holding our objects.
The role involves:
- Using specialist software to create 3D scans of objects and photos in our collection
- Working with our Collections Officer and Marketing Officer to share these scans with the public
The role is ideal for anyone that:
- Is keen to learn exciting new IT skills
- Has a passion for history and collections
- Is interested in a career in curation
Volunteers will be given a full introduction and provided support throughout their work with us through training opportunities and regular catch-ups.
Events Volunteer - Heritage Centre
In the role of Events Volunteer - Heritage Centre, you will work closely with the Learning and Engagement team to deliver our learning programme to groups visiting our Museum through guided tours and activities sharing the history of the games with the public.
The role involves:
- Talking to visitors about the NPHT and our work
- Sharing Paralympic heritage and its local connection
- Providing tours of the Heritage Centre
This role is ideal for anyone that:
- Has a love for Stoke Mandeville and its local history
- Enjoys speaking with members of the public
- Is a good listener and team player
Volunteers will be given a full introduction and provided support throughout their work with us through training opportunities and regular catch-ups. Additionally, volunteers will be reimbursed for any travel expenses incurred.
Events Volunteer - Outreach
In the role of Events Volunteer - Outreach, you will work closely with the Learning and Engagement team to deliver our learning programme through outreach events in the local and wider community. This is a great opportunity to share the story of the Paralympic Games with the public.
The role involves:
- Talking to the public about the NPHT and our work
- Sharing Paralympic heritage and its connection to Stoke Mandeville
- Sharing items from our collection with the public
- Demonstrating para sports and encouraging an interest in the Paralympics
This role is ideal for anyone that:
- Has a love for the Paralympics and is passionate about sharing its heritage
- Enjoys speaking with members of the public
- Is a good listener and team player
Volunteers will be given a full introduction and provided support throughout their work with us through training opportunities and regular catch-ups. Additionally, volunteers will be reimbursed for any travel expenses incurred.
Events Volunteer - Schools and Scout Groups
In the role of Events Volunteer - Schools and Scout Groups you will work closely with the Learning and Engagement team to deliver our learning programme. This is a great opportunity to share local Paralympic heritage with groups/schools and young people instilling in them a sense of pride and interest in this very local story.
The role involves:
- Sharing the NPHT with schools and scout groups
- Engaging children with the Paralympic story
- Running Paralympic sport sessions
- Sharing items from our collection with schools
- Assisting with the delivery of activity sessions
This role is ideal for anyone that:
- Has a love for the Paralympics and is passionate about sharing its heritage
- Enjoys working with children
- Is a good listener and team player
Volunteers will be given a full introduction and provided support throughout their work with us through training opportunities and regular catch-ups. Additionally, volunteers will be reimbursed for any travel expenses incurred.
Feedback Volunteer
In the role of Feedback Volunteer, you will test out some of our virtual resources and help provide us with valuable feedback so that we can continue to develop and improve what we can offer to the public. As part of our strategy to become Seamlessly Inclusive we are also keen to hear any feedback on accessibility of our resources.
The role involves:
- Testing our digital resources such as our app trail and our Global Virtual Museum
- Trying out various learning resources
- Providing feedback on the accessibility and quality of our resources
The role is ideal for anyone as we endeavour to make our resources as inclusive to all so welcome feedback from anyone and everyone.
Volunteers will be given a full introduction and provided support throughout their work with us through training opportunities and regular catch-ups.
Media and Marketing Volunteer - Photography/Videography
Whether it is taking photos of items in our collection to preserve Paralympic heritage, attending outreach events and capturing photos and videos, or assisting with marketing material; in the role of Media and Marketing Volunteer - Photography/Videography you will be working closely with our Marketing Officer to assist the wider NPHT team.
The role involves:
- Attending outreach events to take photos and videos
- Cataloguing items in our collection
- Assisting in the creation of marketing material
The role is ideal for anyone that:
- Is keen to develop their photography/videography skills in a professional setting
- Has a passion for history and preserving heritage
Volunteers will be given a full introduction and provided support throughout their work with us through training opportunities and regular catch-ups.
Media and Marketing Volunteer - Promotions
In the role of Media and Marketing Volunteer - Promotions, you will work closely with our Marketing Officer to help produce exciting content for the NPHT, helping to publicise and raise awareness of the work the NPHT does.
The role involves:
- Using design software to create promotional content for the NPHT
- Writing engaging blog posts
This role is ideal for anyone that:
- Is keen to get experience in marketing
- Enjoys using design software
Volunteers will be given a full introduction and provided support throughout their work with us through training opportunities and regular catch-ups.
Oral History Transcription Volunteer
In the role of Oral History Transcription Volunteer, you will get the chance to listen to the Oral Histories of many different people connected to the Paralympics, and help to preserve these rich and important stories through transcribing them and making them more accessible.
The role involves:
- Listening to Oral History interviews
- Precisely typing out a written transcript of the interview
The role is ideal for anyone that:
- Has a passion for history
- Is interested in hearing people's life stories
- Has keen attention to detail
Volunteers will be given a full introduction and provided support throughout their work with us through training opportunities and regular catch-ups.
Research Volunteer - Object of the Month
Working closely with our Collections Officer, in the role of Research Volunteer - Object of the Month, you will help uncover the history of items in our collection and share their stories with a wide audience.
The role involves:
- Developing research skills to find out more about items in our collection
- Using this research to create engaging and informative articles
- Promoting Paralympic heritage through bringing our collection to life
This role is ideal for anyone that:
- Has an interest in historic objects and archives
- Enjoys writing
- Is keen to develop research and writing skills
Volunteers will be given a full introduction and provided support throughout their work with us through training opportunities and regular catch-ups.
Research Volunteer - Sports and Paralympians
In the role of Research Volunteer - Sports and Paralympians, you will be directly involved in the preservation of Paralympic history and in supporting the NPHT's major project through research uncovering the history of Cerebral Palsy Sport, Dwarf Sport and the Paralympians that have competed in these disciplines.
The role involves:
- Research into the history of para sports and their development
- Promoting the heritage of para sports
- Creating articles and resources to inform the NPHT's wider project work.
This role is ideal for anyone that:
- Has an interest in sporting heritage
- Enjoys writing
- Is keen to develop research and writing skills
Volunteers will be given a full introduction and provided support throughout their work with us through training opportunities and regular catch-ups.
Mission Statement
We exist to enlighten and inspire future generations by celebrating, cherishing and bringing Paralympic heritage and its stories of human endeavour to life.
https://www.paralympicheritage.org.uk
