LTM Guide to Volunteering LTM Guide to Volunteering

Contents

Volunteering At 03

What is Museum? 04

Why do people volunteer? 05

Why does the Museum involve volunteers? 05

Our Volunteer Charter 06

What do volunteers do at the Museum? 07

Volunteer role descriptions 08

I’m interested! How can I become a volunteer? 09

I’m not sure how much time I can give... 10

Can everybody volunteer? 11

What happens when I start volunteering? 12

Will you give me any other training? 13

Will I get any other support? 14

Can I be reimbursed for out of pocket expenses? 15

What if I can’t attend a session? 15

Recognising your contribution 16

Keeping in touch 16

Where might volunteering take me next? 17

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Volunteering at London Transport Museum

Volunteers are a recognised and The purpose of this guide is to give highly valued part of London you a broad outline of the work of Transport Museum (LTM). Working LTM and the role of the volunteer alongside other volunteers and within it. It should help answer staff, our aim is to create a most of your questions and professional and friendly give you an insight to what environment for our many visitors. volunteering entails and the support provided by the Museum. Volunteers give their time freely to Should you have any further support LTM and are not paid. We questions you can contact us at recognise that we benefit [email protected]. enormously from this and, in return for your time, abilities and enthusiasm, we hope to give you an opportunity to develop your skills and interests and to make new friends.

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What is London Transport Museum?

London Transport Museum explores Our main departments are: Marketing and Development the story of London and its which looks at ways to raise money transport system over the last 200 Visitor Services which works for the Museum so we can continue years, highlighting the powerful link to make the Museum a great our work. We want to increase the between transport and the growth experience for all of the visitors number of people who know about of modern London, culture and from all over the world, looking the Museum and who want to be society since 1800. We care for over after their needs and their access to involved with it, including other 450,000 items - preserving, the Museum, its shop and facilities. businesses. researching and acquiring objects to use in our galleries, exhibitions and Learning which encourages children, Support Services which makes other activities. We started adults, families, schools and sure everything at the Museum is collecting rare road and rail vehicles, communities to enjoy and learn working well and safely, including rolling stock, posters, signs, about transport from the past and the building and its facilities, our uniforms, photos, maps and future through our tours, computers and systems. drawings about London’s transport publications, events, lectures, history in the 1920’s and these are resources and activities. displayed and preserved in two locations; the Museum in the Curatorial and Collections historic Flower Market building in which looks after all the objects in Central London, in the Museum, restoring and and in our Depot at Acton in preserving them, researching them, West London. collecting new objects and exploring ways to share our knowledge about LTM is a registered charity and the collections with the public. welcomes over 350,000 visitors every year. We have approximately Business and Performance 120 staff and 250 volunteers, who which manages the finances of the look after the Museumand Depot, Museum, our business activities its collection and its visitors. and supports all of our staff.

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What exactly is a “volunteer”?

Our definition of a volunteer is Why do people volunteer? • Some volunteers have an anyone who supports the Museum’s academic interest, wanting to People volunteer for us for a huge charitable objectives by offering work in a museum as part of a number of different reasons, and their time, commitment, skills and course, aiming to work as a often for more than one; energy for free. curator, in education, research • Many volunteers want to gain or in tourism in the future. LTM involves volunteers from aged work experience, update or learn So volunteers might be young or 14 upwards with no upper age limit. new skills. This could come from retired, already highly skilled or just This includes: a general interest in working in starting to learn, nervous about • Museum Trustees arts and heritage, or from wanting coming back to work or excited to • Individuals engaged in long term or to get your confidence back in an be back in a work environment. short term roles and projects office or customer service role. Everyone has different skills and • Work placements –time defined It could also be because you want experience to bring, and we very placements for individuals via an to get back into a routine again, to much hope to welcome you all! employability scheme such as TfL’s meet people, to get references, or Step into Work Scheme to feel ready for paid work in the • HE and graduate students on future. Some volunteers may have Why does the Museum structured time limited placements been focusing on bringing up a involve volunteers? of up to 3 months, relevant to their family, are thinking about changing As you can see from the number degree/career– Internships career, or haven’t got any experience of visitors and many, many items in School students on work •  working in the UK. our collection, we need lots of experience placements Or you might not have any work support! Volunteers support the experience yet because you are staff to do their jobs. They also bring We hope that you will enjoy your just starting out. a huge range of different skills and time with us, add to your experiences to LTM. Being a charity experience, learn new skills and we have to make the most of share the ones you have. It’s an • Some people have a passionate everything we have, and your equal relationship – and we are very interest in the areas the Museum contribution of time and energy grateful for your contribution. focuses on, whether a lifelong affection for a specific type of helps us to use our resources to vehicle, an interest in design or an the maximum. appreciation of technology. You may have worked in the transport field, or want to, or just love finding out more about transport and London’s history as a hobby.

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Volunteer Expectations

We are proud of the contribution • The chance to gain skills and • Respect everyone at the Museum volunteers make to the Museum, experience, learning from whether staff, volunteers or and we strive to provide all museum professionals who are visitors volunteers with a positive passionate about their work. experience. To allow us to do this • Keep us informed if you have any effectively we set expectations as • Recognition and appreciation for problems during your time with part of our volunteer agreement, your contribution. us. We encourage you to ask outlining what you can expect from questions if you are unsure of any the Museum and what we expect • To work alongside people who tasks, and to let us know if things from you as a volunteer. share and support your interests are not what you expected.

• The chance to work in an historic As a volunteer We have many different kinds of building in central London, and/or we hope you will: people working in and visiting the our exciting Depot in Acton, in a museum. We expect all staff and lively, educational and creative • Enjoy your role and carry out your volunteers to treat each other environment with our unique tasks to the best of your ability. and all Museum visitors fairly and collections. with respect. • Be committed, do your best to • A rewarding volunteering come in as arranged and let us opportunity that contributes to know in good time if you can’t the museum’s charitable aims and come in as planned. objectives. • Enjoy working in a professional • Access to many of the Museum’s environment and support our facilities, and reimbursement of policies and procedures. agreed out of pocket expenses incurred whilst volunteering • Work in support of our staff and with us. on your own initiative where necessary. • Induction and relevant training so that you can do your tasks safely • Be flexible. Resources and staff and confidently. We will make time can sometimes be limited in sure we have covered everything such a busy environment, so you you need to know and we need may need to adapt to different to do for you. working areas.

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What do volunteers do at London Transport Museum? Volunteers undertake many Learning Volunteer different roles at LTM. You might like Supporting our Learning team in working with our visitors, explaining delivering activities to families and our exhibits, helping to run activities schools groups. and events. Or you might prefer to work in our offices, or out in the Community Programme Volunteer community. Supporting the community team to inspire learning, creativity and skills Some examples of the development with audiences who volunteer roles we have are: would not usually visit or work with the Museum. Welcome Host Volunteer Working alongside our Customer Administration Volunteer Services team at the Museum Helping behind the scenes in our to assist visitors and supervise offices to make sure the Museum our collection. runs smoothly.

Library Volunteer Volunteer Guide Updating our databases, filing, Providing guided tours to visitors stocktaking or research. and corporate members of our Museum and Depot sites or as part Young Volunteer of Hidden London. A project based role aimed at 18-25 year olds, developing ways to These are just some examples of the introduce visitors to our collection kind of roles we offer to volunteers. in new and exciting ways. If you talk to us we can give you further information on the sort of Ephemera Volunteer roles we think would work well for Cataloguing and storing objects such you. When we are recruiting for a as posters and/or helping to restore role we will provide a clear role and maintain vehicles. description to explain what tasks are involved. An example of a typical Open Weekend Volunteer role description follows on the next Supporting visitors to the Depot and page: making sure the exhibits and visitors are kept safe.

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Volunteer role descriptions

Here is an example of a role What the role entails: Who we are looking for: description which you will be provided with for any volunteer role As a volunteer welcome host • Good communication skills you carry out: supporting the Customer Services • Friendly, enthusiastic team: and approachable Volunteer Welcome Host • Working directly with the public and • Ability to interact with people from Museum staff to deliver different ages and backgrounds Summary: professional and friendly customer • An interest in London and its Do you enjoy being in a customer service history facing environment, engaging with • Patrolling the galleries, providing children and adults, and being part of assistance and information to What you get in return: a team? visitors • Handing out leaflets/promotional • New skills and greater confidence We are looking for volunteers with information related to Museum • Experience in engaging with commitment, enthusiasm and a activities different audience groups in a passion for museum collections to • Welcoming visitors and being a museum setting support our excellent Customer point of information at the Museum • Help with your future Services team during a busy holiday entrance career prospects period. Our volunteers offer a warm • Supporting staff in the • Being part of a great volunteer welcome to visitors on arrival, Museum cloakroom team improving the experience for assisting with the admissions process our visitors and providing visitors with any What training and support we offer: • Reimbursed travel and meal information they need for their visit. expenses up to set daily amounts Supervising our collection provides • Training in welcoming visitors, • A monthly LTM volunteer an opportunity to engage with our ticketing offers and collection newsletter visitors whilst learning about the supervision • There will be opportunities to history of London Transport. • Buddying with an experience continue volunteering in the future volunteer/staff member on your and to get involved with other When: Holiday periods first day aspects of Museum life Where: London Transport Museum • Opportunities to up-skill in the (Covent Garden) future Department: Visitor Services Reporting to: Volunteer Resource Coordinator Minimum age for the role: 14 and over

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I’m interested! How can I become a volunteer?

If you are interested in joining us, we With your permission, we can keep In addition to this we host would like to hear from you. your details on file and contact you networking events each year, which if a suitable role comes up. offers you the opportunity to find All available volunteer roles are out more about volunteering and advertised on our website, on the • Alternatively, we may be able to roles you may be interested in, Get Involved page. For any role you suggest other places that can help speak to other volunteers and are interested in we will ask you to you, such as heritage organisations staff and find out how you can complete a short application form or your local Volunteer Centre, to get involved. to provide us with information on find another charity that needs your background and to help us your skills. understand what you wish to gain from the role. The next stage is an informal interview, where we will invite you in to talk through the role and make sure that the role is right for you and us. If you are unsuccessful at this stage, we will provide you with feedback at your request.

If you have other interests that aren’t met by the roles we are advertising on our website, then let us know. We may be able to provide you with further information on volunteer roles we will be recruiting for in the future.

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I’m not sure how much time I can give...

Every volunteer role has a minimum Some volunteers do a few hours time commitment, which enables each week, and some prefer to the Museum to effectively support commit to one day at a time. We you and make sure you get the most hope you will want to stay as long of your volunteering. as you want to – some volunteers enjoy it so much they have stayed Some roles have a level of flexibility, for years! and may be carried out on days and times that are suited to you. This would usually be discussed with you at an informal interview.

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Can everybody volunteer?

We would love to involve everyone, • We have good access at the Important: If you do come to but sometimes we might not have Museum in Covent Garden and at volunteer with us please note that the right opportunity for you to the Museum Depot in Acton, but all volunteers and staff are apply your skills, or for the hours some roles may have specific expected to treat each other and all you have available. physical limitations, for example visitors politely and with respect. where there are tight steps in older Any unfair or bad treatment of • Some roles involve working with vehicles. Please do talk to us if this others will not be accepted by the children or vulnerable people. This might be an issue and we will try Museum. Volunteers are asked to will require a Disclosure and to find solutions together. agree to and sign a volunteer Barring Service (DBS) check. We agreement which outlines organise all the paperwork, and expectations for the Museum and keep all of your details private. But all volunteers. please do talk to us if you need to know more about this.

• If you are from the European Economic Area there are no limits on volunteering, and currently all asylum seekers and refugees can volunteer. If you are in the UK on a visa, from outside the EU or as a student we will need to check whether this allows you to volunteer and for how many hours. If you are on welfare benefits you can volunteer as many hours as you like.

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What happens when I start volunteering?

When you start, we spend time with With many of our volunteer roles we you in an induction explaining how offer a trial period, which means things work at the LTM, to show you that we have a meeting with you around the building, introduce you after a few sessions to check how to other staff and volunteers and things are going and agree whether answer any questions you might things are working out okay for both have. We supply you with a badge of us. and a uniform t-shirt/fleece. This helps our visitors and staff to identify you and is really important if you are working young children or vulnerable adults.

We also make sure we have all the important information we need to support you, such as your contact details, and a person to contact in an emergency. You can see your records, but they are private, so only your supervisor and their managers will have access to these. We talk through some of the things that anyone representing the Museum needs to know, including health and safety, safeguarding, confidentiality and how to provide a good customer service.

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Will you give me any other training?

We hope that everyone volunteering Some of the volunteer roles may with us will take the opportunity to require you to attend specific learn new things, whether about informal training or to learn new ways of working, transport or on-the-job from our experts. This working with new people. But we may include discovering new skills, won’t expect you to do anything that or maybe re-visiting areas you have is new to you without our support. worked on in the past, to make sure that you have up-to-date knowledge and know how London Transport Museum delivers its work.

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Will I get any other support?

When you start as a volunteer at the Resource Coordinator or any other Everyone representing LTM aims to Museum a member of staff will be member of staff. work together effectively and your supervisor and will help you supportively – that is why we have settle in and find your way around. Most volunteers also work closely outlined some of our expectations They will tell you where and when with other staff and volunteers at at the beginning of this booklet. to arrive and meet you at the the Museum, and many work with We will cover this in full at your reception on your first day. We will our visitors too. This includes induction and hope everyone will go through a day one Induction with people from all over the world, and read it and refer to it during their you to make sure we have covered of all ages and abilities. Some of our time with us. all the important pieces of volunteer roles provide mentoring information you need to know. We or buddying from more experienced will also schedule a group induction volunteers. This helps you to learn for you, which covers important and understand your role better and information on LTM and policies and become more familiar with LTM and procedures relating to volunteers. the site you are volunteering at.

Your supervisor will guide you and check that your work is going well. They will be available to talk over your work on a regular basis and there will usually be other volunteers or staff around to ask questions during the day, especially in your first few days in a role.

The staff might be very busy at some times, and it isn’t always possible to discuss all your interests immediately, but these meetings with you mean that you will have a regular opportunity to ask any questions and raise any concerns. And if something urgent is worrying you, you can talk to the Volunteer

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Can I be reimbursed for out of pocket expenses? The Museum does not pay volunteers, • Complete our simple volunteer but it can reimburse your travel and expenses reimbursement meal costs up to set daily limits. claim form.

To re-claim your costs you need to: • Keep and attach your receipts, a printout of your Oystercard use or a • Let your supervisor know when you photocopy of your for start how much your travel costs our records. Then we can give you will be. the money back as soon as possible.

What if I can’t attend a session?

We know that life and travel can be visitors might be affected if you are unpredictable! But we really need to late, and we may have to find know as early as possible if you alternative cover or support. We think you won’t be able to attend a hope you will try hard to come on session for which you have offered time or let your supervisor know to volunteer. Other staff and quickly if there is a problem.

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Recognising your contribution

During your time volunteering with As part of our appreciation, the Additionally, we host volunteer us we may ask you to keep a record Museum hosts an annual Thank You networking events and organise of the hours you contribute. We Event for volunteers, where we talk reciprocal visits to other museum value all the time donated to us and about your achievements, award and heritage sites of interest to our report this to the Museum’s certificates and update volunteers volunteers. Each year we also Executive Board every month so on the year ahead. It’s a fun and nominate those who have excelled that everyone throughout the informal social event so you can in a role or made a lasting Museum understands the chat to other volunteers and find impression for the London contribution made to us by people out about the work they do for the Volunteers in Awards. like you. Museum or simply take the . opportunity to make new friends.

Keeping in touch

Every month, we will send you our As well as having regular contact Volunteer Newsletter. Written by and updates from staff who manage our Volunteer Resource Coordinator your role, you will also have an with contributions from staff and opportunity to sign up for the volunteers across LTM, the volunteer mailing list. This is newsletter contains an update on managed by the Volunteer Resource what’s happening, new Coordinator and will provide you opportunities available and advance with important updates relating to notification of upcoming events. the Museum and your volunteering.

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Where might volunteering take me next?

We hope that you will have a great time volunteering at LTM, and we Whatever your reason, when you are so grateful for all volunteers’ decide to move on, please let your help. If you do have to move on supervisor and the Volunteer elsewhere, we wish you all the best Resource Coordinator know. They and hope that you will stay in touch may ask you why you are leaving with us and continue visiting and which you do not have to tell us if sharing the experience with friends you do not wish to. and colleagues! We will ask you to complete a short • You might want to change your evaluation survey about your time role for a different one at the volunteering with us, which will Museum help us to find out what you enjoyed and if there is anything we • We can help you to describe your could have changed to make your experience with us in your CV volunteering experience more satisfying for you and will support • We can usually provide personal others in the future. references for volunteers moving on Once again, welcome and thank you for sharing your time with us. • You might want to join the ltmuseumfriends.co.uk

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