Join the William Morris Gallery volunteering team

Why volunteer?

Whether you want to learn a new skill, gain experience to add to your CV or take part in something valuable for the community in your spare time, volunteering could be for you. The volunteering programme caters for everyone from beginners to experts (aged 18 and over). You do not need to have any experience of museums and galleries to volunteer.

What do William Morris Gallery volunteers do?

William Morris Gallery volunteers are engaged in a variety of roles working both with the public and behind the scenes, helping care for and promote the Gallery’s world-class collection of objects. They are a dedicated, friendly team who make an important contribution to the Gallery. 

Activities & Events Volunteers help prepare and supervise events, sharing their passion for art and culture with participants, whilst Front of House Volunteers or Visitor Volunteers welcome visitors to the Gallery, invigilate exhibitions, assist with tours and conduct surveys to help the Gallery to understand its visitors better. 

As a volunteer you will receive access to free training and advice to enhance your skills.

Current volunteering opportunities

Radical Landscapes Public Programme Volunteer

We are currently looking for volunteers with community language skills for our upcoming Radical Landscapes public programme (21 October to 18 February) – an ambitious season of events invites everyone to investigate, celebrate and explore the natural landscapes of the borough and consider how they continue to change and evolve. The events include workshops around plant medicine, countermapping, and forest bathing. There will also be instances where you may support out of gallery events such as walks, lates, showcases and more.  

If successful, we also offer opportunities for work shadowing and additional training within the Learning and Public Programme Team, as well as the possibility to extend your volunteering to the whole year. 

What’s involved? 

• Helping to set-up activities, preparing materials, and clearing away at the end of workshop sessions 
• Supporting the workshop session facilitator as required 
• Recording participation and handing out evaluation  
• Welcoming participants   
• General administrative tasks such as helping to format resources or proofing copy 
• Ad-hoc language interpretation and translation for participants  

Your availability 

We will be hosting approximately 1-3 events per month for the exhibition’s duration, with most events being up to 3 hours in length. Our events take place at various times and days. We are happy to cater to those who prefer working evenings, weekdays or during school hours. Let us know if you have specific times and days you prefer to volunteer.   

We hope you would support at least one event a month.  

To enable the best outcome for volunteers and the Council it is hoped that volunteers stay in the role for a minimum of 6 months, but this role is ongoing. 

Essential criteria

• Ability to speak a community language: Romanian, Urdu, Bulgarian, Polish and Turkish. These languages have been identified in the Census 2021 as the top 5 non-English languages within the London Borough of Waltham Forest 
• Reliable with a friendly, approachable manner 
• Have a commitment and enthusiasm to facilitating cultural learning and the arts 
• Have a good understanding of diversity and equality as it applies to Gallery audiences 

Desirable criteria

• Have experience of working within a community setting or the arts  

How to apply

Please write a paragraph or two about yourself highlighting: 

• Why you want to volunteer in the team 
• What experience you have in public facing roles, particularly working with children and young people 
• What level of ability you have with our community languages (Romanian, Urdu, Bulgarian, Polish and Turkish) 
• Confirming how regularly and which days you can volunteer, and if there are any dates you can’t attend interview or training  

Applications should be sent to christine.lai@walthamforest.gov.uk by Friday 29th September 2023.  

Valuing our volunteers 

In Waltham Forest, volunteers are a crucial part of community cohesion and community engagement. This post will be supervised by the Learning Officer. The Duty Manager would also try to resolve and issues or concerns the volunteer may have. 

Diversity/Inclusion statement 

Waltham Forest Council’s ambition is that the volunteer programme will celebrate the diversity of its residents. The volunteer programme actively encourages diversity amongst its volunteers as it acknowledges the wealth of skills and experiences this brings. 

Training and Selection 

Our volunteer roles are open to anyone aged 18 and over. We operate a formal and transparent application process which includes an application form and an informal discussion over the telephone. Two references from individuals over the age of 18 will be required, with at least one in a professional capacity. New volunteers could expect to start volunteering from October 2023 onwards once we have received references and vetting checks. Volunteers will be given a full induction to the Gallery including a health and safety briefing, an outline of the Learning and Public Programme, and tour of the building.