London of Sutton's Cultural Services

Become a Heritage Hero: Volunteer at Our Historic Houses!

Do you have a passion for history, arts and crafts and a desire to connect with your community? We're seeking enthusiastic volunteers to join our team and help bring the stories of our beautiful heritage houses to life. Whether you enjoy greeting visitors, leading tours, assisting with special events, engaging in front-of-house operations, or contributing to specialised committees or task groups, there's a place for you!

What you’ll gain:

• Make a difference and connect with your community: Play a vital role in preserving and sharing the heritage of the London Borough of Sutton, sharing your knowledge of and enthusiasm for local history with visitors from all walks of life
• Learn and grow: Enhance your knowledge of history, community engagement, and heritage, training and developing new skills to improve your CV and future job prospects
• Be part of a team: Join a friendly and supportive volunteer community, supported by the experienced Heritage Team
• Enjoy unique experiences: Participate in special events and behind-the-scenes activities

 

Where you’ll be:

Volunteers can choose to volunteer at any of our three historic heritage houses or to work agilely across two or more sites.

Whitehall Historic House, Whitehall Historic House, 1 Malden Rd, Cheam, SM3 8QD: Built around 1500, Whitehall is a Grade II* listed Tudor house in the heart of Cheam Village. It is owned and managed by the London Borough of Sutton, which opened it as a local museum in 1978 following a campaign by the community. The construction of Whitehall, as well as the story of its use and occupants through time, offers unique insights into the past.

 

Honeywood Museum, Honeywood Walk, Carshalton, SM5 3NX: Overlooking Carshalton Ponds, this Grade II listed building lets visitors step into the past and see for themselves how the residents of Honeywood would have lived while learning about the local area.

 

Little Holland House, 40 Beeches Avenue, Carshalton, SM5 3LW: A unique Arts & Crafts style house in Carshalton Beeches designed and built by Frank Dickinson, this Grade II listed house shares the special story of the Dickinson family surrounded by their carefully crafted artworks and furnishings.

 

What you’ll do:

Our volunteers are encouraged to support with a range of general tasks as well as joining at least one of our committee or task groups specific to their personal interests and skills. Training will be provided where appropriate.

General Tasks – These tasks help us keep our houses open and engaging for our visitors and may include:

• Prepare the building for opening to the public (AM volunteers) and/or support closing up procedures (PM volunteers)
• Provide a warm welcome to all visitors
• Answer visitor enquiries and provide excellent customer service
• Process merchandise and activity sales using the on-site card reader
• Assist with the setup and execution of events and activities.
• Contribute to the upkeep and presentation of the houses.
• Follow and adhere to health and safety procedures.
• Safeguard the property and the objects within it.

Task Groups – smaller task groups enable our volunteers to feel more connected with all our houses have to offer, and bring their unique perspective to our offer. Participating in a task group might mean corresponding or meeting in smaller groups with other volunteers:

• Events & Activities: Planning and delivering engaging programmes of walks, talks, trails, and activities for visitors, and coordinating with schools and community groups, delivering informative and engaging tours
• Exhibitions & Displays: Assisting with research, object handling, installation, and development of interpretive materials for exhibitions and displays, including seasonal decor
• Digital Content & Communications: Creating and sharing digital content, contributing to blogs and social media, and designing promotional materials
• Gardening & Grounds Maintenance: Maintaining the gardens and grounds, including planting and weeding
• Conservation & Collections Care: Assisting with basic object care tasks, environmental monitoring, inventory management, and collections research.

 

When you’ll do it:

Whitehall Historic House: Thursday-Friday 9:45-13:00 or 13:00-16:15, Saturdays: shift 1 - 11:45-14:00 / shift 2 - 14:00-16:15

 

Honeywood Museum: Thursday-Saturday: shift 1 - 09.30-12:00 / shift 2 - 12:00-14:30 / shift 3 - 14:30-17:15

 

Little Holland House: Friday gardening (weather dependent) 09:30-12:30; First Sunday of the Month house opening: shift 1 - 10:45-13:45; shift 2 - 13:45-17:15

 

About you:

We welcome volunteers from all walks of life to our service and training is provided as relevant to specific tasks, but in general, we’re looking for volunteers with:

• Good communication skills and enjoy meeting members of the public of all ages and backgrounds
• The ability to work well as part of a team.
• Have a warm, polite, enthusiastic and friendly manner
• Have an interest in historic houses, local history, and assisting with events and activities

 

If you're passionate about heritage and eager to contribute to your community, we'd love to hear from you! Contact us today to learn more about volunteer opportunities and how you can get involved.