Volunteering at Chiltern Open Air Museum
By becoming a volunteer at Chiltern Open Air Museum you provide invaluable support that ensures we can open to visitors and continue with the amazing work we do. Our outdoor spaces, friendly team and 2,000 years of Chilterns history make this a really special place for you to get involved.
There are all-sorts of areas that you can support us in from front of house, stewarding, office support, catering, collections care, estate work, gardening, building maintenance and more!
Staff and volunteer benefits
- Discount in the shop, catering outlets and at some special events
- Flexible hours and remote working where possible
- A 45 acre site for walking and general wellbeing
- Opportunities for professional development and training
- Volunteer and Staff Room with free tea and coffee
- Team social activities
Current opportunities
We are currently looking for:
- Visitor Engagement Volunteers
We’re looking for costumed volunteers to chat to visitors and help bring our buildings to life. Training and costumes are provided. - Volunteer Costume Makers
Our Sewing Bees currently meet one Thursday and one Saturday per month and create costumes for our Visitor Engagement Volunteers. - Catering Volunteers
We need volunteers to support our catering team either by serving customers, clearing tables or helping in our prep room. - Building Team Mechanic
We are looking for experienced mechanic volunteers to help us with maintaining site vehicles (old and new) as well as mechanical tools and machinery. - Event Team Volunteers
We need volunteers to help us prepare for and clear up after events, to act as marshals during events, to run and support activities, and to help create trails and props. - Collections Team Volunteers
We are looking for volunteers to join our Thursday morning team (10am – 12.30pm) to support the Collections and Interpretation Manager maintain the collection. The role will include cleaning objects and performing housekeeping of the buildings across site. - Estate Team Volunteers
We are looking for volunteer livestock feeders and welfare checkers.
Volunteer Re-enactment Groups
We welcome volunteer re-enactment groups to the site. Volunteer re-enactment groups benefit from being able to use our site for training purposes during our closed period. All groups must have their own insurances.
Contact us
To express an interest and find out more about volunteering with us, please return a completed COAM Volunteer Enquiry Form to our Volunteer Coordinator, Laura on volunteering@coam.org.uk
FAQs
How old do I have to be to volunteer at COAM?
You need to be aged 18 or over. Vulnerable adults need to be accompanied by a carer.
Do you cover expenses?
Unfortunately we are unable to reimburse travel and other expenses.
Do you accept work experience?
We accept work experience students over the age of 18 depending on the area and resources available. We maybe able to accept work experience placements for those over 16 years in our Collections and Estate Teams if it is arranged through an educational establishment. Please contact volunteering@coam.org.uk to discuss it with us.
Chiltern Open Air Museum is a registered charity no 272381.