Clifton Park and Museum

Volunteer Clifton Park Museum Assistant

Anticipated time Contribution: Monday to Saturday 9.30 a.m. – 5.00 p.m. , Sunday April to end September 1.15 p.m. – 4.30 p.m. Bank Holiday Monday 9.30 a.m. – 5.00 p.m.

Location: Clifton Park Museum, Clifton Lane, Rotherham. S65 2AA

Reports to: Wendy Foster

Telephone: 01709 336633

Email: heritage.volunteering@rotherham.gov.uk

About us

Rotherham Heritage Service is based at Clifton Park Museum in Rotherham.

Clifton Park Museum, formerly Clifton House was the home of the Walker family who ran the Rotherham Iron Works. It became Rotherham’s Museum in 1893. The museum has fascinating rooms and exhibits, including Roman, Ceramic and Victorian galleries and a Victorian Kitchen with a working Range. The York and Lancaster Regimental Museum and Rotherham’s Archives and Local Studies Service are also located within the museum. The museum is now the home to the borough’s Registration Service where around 300 ceremonies are conducted each year.

We also manage other heritage sites across the borough of Rotherham including Boston Castle which is a 19th Century hunting lodge, built for the Earl of Effingham in 1775. The Castle was refurbished in 2012 and is now a small visitor attraction which is set within Boston Park, with views of surrounding Rotherham and Sheffield

At Rotherham Heritage Service our team aims to provide outstanding, inspiring and stimulating experiences for adults, families, children and young people. We achieve this by delivering an inspiring activity programme within our heritage.

At Clifton Park Museum we currently offer the following:

Guided Tours

Family Fun Days – workshops for 3 to 12 years old

Heritage Talks – Adult talk

Friends of the Museum Talks – Adult talk

Friends of Archives & Local Studies Talks – Adult talk

Kitchen Ranger cooking demonstrations on the Victorian range

Peggers – demonstration of peg rug making

Registration services – Marriage ceremonies, Renewal of Vows, Naming Ceremonies

School Sessions on a wide range of topics

Rotherham Heritage Service is looking for a team of enthusiastic and committed volunteers to assist with delivering a high standard service at Clifton Park Museum.  If you are interested in a career in Heritage and this is the ideal opportunity to gain experience and develop new skills.

Role Description: Volunteer Assistant

The role will be to assist the Heritage and Retail Assistants in the day to day operation, building supervision and functioning of Clifton Park Museum and its’ activities.

Person Specification:

We are looking for the following qualities:

• Friendly and approachable volunteers with good communications skills
• Able to commit on a regular basis with good time-keeping skills
• Attention to detail and good observational skills
• An interest in/or knowledge of history or heritage qualification
• Volunteers that are happy to work independently or as part of a team

Key Duties

1. To ensure that the needs of all our visitors are met to a consistently high standard.
2. Provide information and advice to the public on Clifton Park Museum
3. Enhance a visitor’s experience by means of assisting delivery of guided talks and a programme of entertainment and other events and activities at Clifton Park Museum.
4. To assist in the day to day operation of the museum including general housekeeping (including cleaning), general supervision, security and patrolling.
5. To assist the Heritage and Retail Assistants in monitoring the general cleanliness and maintenance of the building – primarily to make note of any issue that arises with the building so that it can be address by the appropriate maintenance staff from RMBC.
6. Working with children and adults during workshops/talks and assisting the Heritage staff delivering the activities – Assisting with meeting and greeting visitors, supporting the delivery of an activity.
7. To assist and /or supervise the activity areas around the museum.
8. To assist with the preparation, setting up and tiding away of activity spaces, equipment and resources for all activities.
9. To promote and safeguard the welfare of children, young people and/or vulnerable adults whilst visiting our heritage venues.

The above list can be amended and we encourage volunteers to discuss areas in which they wish to progress personally with the Visitor Experience Officer to enable the best experience for both Volunteer and Heritage Services.

Support

We value all our volunteers and encourage the development of new skills and experience.  In house training will be provided on a regular basis to help volunteers develop or enhance their skills.

This post will bring you into contact with children/adults and therefore the role is subject to a Basic DBS check and will require 2 referees, including one that can outline volunteers’ suitability for working with children and young people as well as a full employment history.

Further information about the disclosure scheme can be found at www.gov.uk/disclosure-barring-service-check