Research Volunteer

OVERVIEW

Since it opened in 1991, Amersham Museum has thrived as a small, local, independent museum. In July 2017 a redeveloped and expanded museum opened to visitors. The new museum includes a new reception, permanent galleries, improved facilities and collections stores. In 2018 and 2019 10,000 people visited the museum each year; around half of these visits were from children.

Amersham is a historic Buckinghamshire town and the museum is situated in a listed medieval building on the High Street. Awarded the 2020 Sandford Award for Education, the museum is accredited and is run as a charitable company. The collections reflect the town’s history and development from Roman times to the present day, explaining how Amersham developed after the arrival of the Metropolitan railway. The museum has a wide-ranging programme of activities for adults and families, including talks, walks, craft and research sessions.

We have a busy team of volunteers helping research a broad range of local history, including previously untold stories of local people. No experience is necessary and you can do online research from home or use primary source material in the museum. 

Title: Research Volunteer 

This role will work alongside the Director and Collections Manager together with other volunteer researchers.

Hours: To be negotiated, but flexible and to fit your availability

OBJECTIVE OF ROLE:  

• To help research the history of local people and place, according to current priorities and exhibition work
• To undertake research to help respond to enquiries through the website or from museum visitors 

THE ROLE INVOLVES:

• Using the internet to access digitised, research resources, including the census, marriage, birth and death registers, military service records, newspapers and wider archival resources 
• Using primary and secondary source material in the museum to research particular topics, people or place
• Writing up research into articles for the website or publication, exhibition text or to respond to enquiries

We ask volunteers to:

• Uphold the ethos of the museum when dealing with local people and with other volunteers
• Attend training sessions as necessary
• Adhere to any policies as requested by Amersham Museum staff

The museum will:

• Provide full training in using sources and recording them
• Provide wider support as and when needed
• Keep you updated on the museum’s overall policies, programme of events and exhibitions and other information that might have an impact on your role
• Provide reasonable out of pocket travel expenses

YOU WILL ENJOY THIS ROLE IF YOU:

• Have an interest local history
• Enjoy researching family or buildings history 
• Have good communication skills and like writing
• Enjoy working with others
• Are willing to learn new skills