Volunteering at the Lapworth Museum of Geology
Our Volunteers
The Lapworth Museum of Geology has a dedicated team of volunteers who help with a wide range of tasks at the Museum. They help us to care for our collections and ensure we provide a high quality service to our visitors. Our volunteers are one of the key strengths of the Museum and we benefit from their diverse skills and experience, and the enthusiasm and commitment that they bring to the Museum Team.
Current volunteering opportunities at the Lapworth Museum
If you would like to become a Lapworth Museum Volunteer we have opportunities in the following areas:-
*Please note unfortunately we are unable to take volunteers who are under the age of 18.*
What to expect from the Lapworth
The Museum is committed to providing volunteer opportunities and activities that are mutually beneficial and rewarding. We aim to provide valuable skills, knowledge and experiences to help support both personal and professional development and recognise our volunteers’ achievements.
As a volunteer you will become an integral part of the Lapworth Museum team. We will provide an induction process for all new volunteers and appropriate training/guidance to allow you to complete your tasks and activities.
We aim to run a range of social activities during the year for all volunteers and staff. We will issue a regular newsletter/e-newsletter to keep people up to date with museum developments and news.
We expect the Lapworth Museum volunteers to treat the museum collections with respect and sensitivity. We expect the volunteers to be polite and courteous to the public/visitors, other volunteers, staff and students. We expect volunteers to observe the Lapworth Museum procedures-policies-standards. We hope that our volunteers will commit an appropriate time to their volunteering activities.
Further details are available in our Volunteer Guidelines and Volunteer Agreement which you will receive when you begin volunteering.
Hear from some of our existing volunteers
Having the Lapworth directly downstairs from my office has led to so many unique opportunities to engage with visitors and talk with a variety of people about my research… I particularly enjoy taking a fossil or a skull from the handling collection and popping downstairs during the busier days to talk to visitors about the anatomy, physiology, and diversity of the animals. (Emma Dunne - Public Engagement Volunteer)
I have been volunteering since January 2010. I have been working closely with my husband Roy on the gemstone collection and in various supporting curatorial roles. I undertook the exacting task of mounting and boxing the gemstones for the new display in the Mineral Wealth Gallery. Currently I am helping to reorganise the mineral collection in the new stores – a massive three-dimensional jigsaw puzzle. (Mary Starkey - Collections Care Volunteer)
I have undertaken a variety of curatorial tasks whilst volunteering at the Lapworth, including work on the Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery collection of gemstones, and the Matthew Boulton collection. (Roy Starkey - Collections Care Volunteer)
I’m always kept on my toes when I’m volunteering with the museum; children ask the most obscure questions! Questions that really make you stop and think, and it takes you off guard – but I love it. The variety of the collections displayed in the museum means there’s always a new question waiting around the corner.
(Amy Jones - Public Engagement Volunteer)
Submit an Expression of interest
We aim to make as many volunteer places available as we can; please note that we receive a considerable number of requests and can only take a limited number of volunteers. We have now reached volunteer capacity and cannot accept any further expressions of interest.