Volunteering at The Centre for Computing History
Join our team! The Centre for Computing History needs your help.
Our volunteers are achieving great things but there is so much more we would like to do.
We understand that your time is valuable so offering to volunteer for us is something we really do appreciate.
Whether you live locally or far away, we have a number of roles available that would really help move the museum forward. We are an inclusive organisation and strive to create opportunities for everyone, regardless of background or capability. Our volunteers tell us how much they enjoy what they do for us, and that they learn new skills too!
We have a particular need for volunteers who can help with school visits on weekdays during term time and and with general visitor engagement, particularly at weekends and during school holidays. We also need volunteers with a flair for social media.
Volunteers work closely with staff and become part of an active volunteer community. Training is provided for all roles so not only do you help us achieve things but you can gain new skills and interests too. Free tea and coffee is always available. We hold regular get-togethers (optional of course!), and volunteers can attend all our events for free. We have an arrangement with the National Museum of Computing at Bletchley Park too, so that all our volunteers can visit there free of charge (and vice versa).
Specific Volunteering Roles Currently Available:
We have lots of options! Browse our Volunteer Teams:
After a general induction, the Centre divides new volunteers into four broad teams, with slightly different settling in procedures for each. Then once a new volunteer has settled in, there is often an opportunity to create a more customised role suited to your strengths and preferences, but we ask all new volunteers who aren't applying for a specific task to join one of our teams.
Education: On weekdays, many school groups come to the Centre to participate in our learning programme. Quite often we need help to facilitate these visits, with things like setting up the classroom and lunch area and helping students move through the galleries. If you have the right skills, you could also help as a learning coach during school activities; some of our volunteers lead tours and workshops, though all assistance is good. If you enjoy working with children and young adults and are available on weekdays, this is a good role for you.
Also, if you have the skills to develop, lead or help with holiday workshops or activities, that's an option too. See our What's On page to see the kind of things we do.
You may be required to undergo a basic DBS check for this role.
Collection: Cataloguing tasks involve database entry, for which full training will be given. The Centre has a mountain of material in its collection ready to be sorted, stored and listed in our catalogue and website. This task can also involve digitising documents, and learning how to store items to museum standards.
As as Accredited Museum, we're also constantly reviewing and upgrading all our storage areas and practices so we also need people willing to help lift and shift, test or clean up machines or enter information into our database.
Front of House: We always need volunteers to interact with the public in our galleries to help them feel at home. All museums need friendly faces to assist visitors. We’re no different, and we know it makes a big difference to the visitor experience.
Front of house volunteers work as visitor guides, helping our guests around the Centre and keeping an eye on exhibits to make sure they stay working and guests are able to use them; helping in the café, serving drinks and snacks; occasional cover for our front desk; and event helpers.
You don’t need to know anything about computers to take up this role, staff are always around too, and we’ll train you up with all the right info. All you need is to be comfortable with the public and able to spot when something’s at risk of going wrong.
Front of house volunteers are needed all the time the Centre is open, including our evening events and for helping us host corporate events and birthday parties. However, we often have quiet periods, such as late in the afternoons on school days. There are things that can be done even when we’re quiet with visitors, such as tidying and restocking the shop and café.
So if you like the idea of being surrounded by nostalgia (with access to endless cups of tea/coffee), this role is also for you.
Technical: We have some space for those who can come in on Thursday evenings, and after 3PM Wednesdays to Fridays, when the museum has closed for the day. There’s always tinkering going on at CCH, from repairs and testing of old machines to development of new interactive displays. You’ll need technical knowledge of hardware, software or general electronics, but if you have that this could well be the role for you.
One thing to bear in mind is that technical roles don’t provide you with a neat conveyor belt of tasks to get on with. We don’t know what will break next, so every day might present you with a new challenge. Sometimes, we need help in other areas too, like front of house, if we don’t have an immediate technical task for you, so we're particularly keen to hear from people who'd be happy doing other things too. If that’s acceptable, we’d be delighted to have you as a technical volunteer.
How to Apply
If you are interested in volunteering your time with us in any of our important roles and playing a vital part in our museum, email us with your details, what role might suit you best and what makes you ideal for it.
Thank you and we look forward to hearing from you ...
volunteers@computinghistory.org.uk
Please note that we'd love for all volunteers to start with us straight away, but there may be a delay as we organise staff support to make you feel at home as well as training and initial supervision for everyone's safety.
