Become a Volunteer

We welcome new volunteers

Everyone you see working at the museum is a volunteer. Volunteers are essential to the success of the museum, helping to enhance the visitor experience. New volunteers are welcome to help with all aspects of running the museum, in a supportive, friendly environment.

We are always on the lookout for new Volunters who would like to get involved with the following:

Front of House

Join our friendly front of house team and welcome visitors as they arrive. Guide them to the displays and collections and answer enquiries.

Collections – cataloguing, marking objects and creating displays

This includes the following activities:

• Document Transcriptions – We take many original ancient documents and transcribe them ready for our digital archive. Join the group and receive full training in how to handle and read old documents
• Publications – The museum produces its own booklets on local topics of interest. All topics must be fully researched before budding authors can produce content for publication
• Archives – Maintaining and adding to our digital resources requires dedicated and enthusiastic volunteers to record and catalogue entries
• Object Research – The provenance and story of individual items reveal aspects of social history and people’s lives. We carry out detailed investigations and seek to enhance the appreciation of objects by contributing new information about them

Building Management

Do you haveDIY skills and an appreciation of old buildings? Help us to manage the fabric of our wonderful building.

Activities

Get involved in organising visits, exhibitions, talks, fundraising activities and events, and many other unusual and inspiring activities.

Education and Outreach

Can you help us connect with local schools and community groups, arranging museum visits and other activities?

Publicity and Marketing

Help to promote the museum and its activities to interest groups within the town, the local area, even nationally. This is a huge but highly rewarding role which can be shared.

Information Technology

This ranges from networking through hardware support to website design.  We are working on projects to improve provide more information to visitors, via tablets, in order to enhance the experience of a visit to Thame Museum.

Role Title

Financial Controller, responsible to the Trustees via the Operating Group

Main purpose of the role

• Responsible for the day to day financial operations of the Museum.
• Maintain complete, accurate and timely accounting records.
• Ensure financial control procedures are in place and operating effectively.
• Produce management accounts on a regular basis for consumption by various Groups, from Trustees to Role-based Teams.
• Lead the Finance Group.

Main tasks/activities of the role

• Maintain accounting records accounting for all income and expenditure.
• Operate fund accounting according to Charity Commission requirements, using general, designated and restricted funds.
• Prepare an annual budget based on prior year and discussions with individual budget holders.
• Maintain a list of equipment purchased, although not qualifying for capitalisation and a fixed asset register.
• Operate project accounting to ensure a record of spend can be sent back to a grantor, usually an external body, as needed.

Skills, Attitude and Experience needed

• Accounting qualification is ideal, but not essential provided the volunteer is numerate
• Good team work is essential
• Attention to detail
• Good Excel skills preferred but not essential

Support available  

• Museum Development Office

Benefits to the Volunteer

• Being a vital part of the museum without being front of house
• Can do the role in your own time
• Satisfaction of performing a pivotal role
• Learn new skills

Role Description and Activities

The main purpose of this role is to lead the Shop Team and includes the following tasks and activities:

• Monitor and maintain stock levels, both in the museum shop and online
• Display stock for sale in the shop
• Decide on and buy new stock, remove obsolete stock
• Ensure all stock items on sale have a PLU and price – both on the item and on the till system (including paper reference file)
• Manage online shop sales: fulfil orders on Shopify, including using Royal Mail online to ship items
• Resolve customer queries

Skills, Attitude and Experience Required

• Attention to detail
• Good communication skills
• Flair for creating enticing shop merchandise displays
• Awareness of what the customer would like to buy
• Reasonable IT skills

Accountable To and Accountable For

• Accountable to the Treasurer and the Operations Group
• Accountable for shop stock, pricing and sales

Support Available

Full training on all systems will be given, as well as support for any queries.

Benefits to the Volunteer

An opportunity to use any previous retail experience.

A chance to enhance the shopping experience for our local community, as well as ensuring visitors have the perfect souvenir.