Volunteering at Ironbridge
The Ironbridge Gorge Museum Trust owes its very existence to volunteers and volunteering has remained at the heart of the Trust throughout its history.
As a Trust volunteer, you will be part of a large, friendly team of people who share a passion for our magnificent sites, collections, unique history and stories. You will have a chance to learn new skills and share your expertise and knowledge; get to know amazing places and history; receive valuable work experience, training and support; and meet new people and make friends.
We provide high-quality opportunities for everyone to enjoy, explore, value and share our story with our visitors.
So whether you want to pursue a career in heritage, share your expertise, or just want to meet new people and indulge your passion, we want to hear from you.
If you want to find out more you can always call 01952 435 919 or email volunteering@ironbridge.org.uk.
These are active roles that we're actively looking to fill:
volunteer gallery assistant
This role requires someone to act as a meet and greet point for visitors to our 2024 temporary exhibition, to monitor the gallery space and to assist visitors with interactives when required.
Find out more about the role here.
Gardener
The role serves to provide support to the Estates Team. Working alongside the Estates Team and other members of the volunteer gardening team to support the care of the gardens and grounds of the Blists Hill site and maintain it to an excellent standard.
Find out more about the role here.
digital collections interpretation assistant
We'd like someone to help improve the accessibility of our collections by supporting the development of our digitally accessible collections. The initial scope of this role is to interpret 60 objects from our collections for our digital audiences via the ‘Discover’ pages on the Trust’s website.
Find out more about the role here.
blists hill victorian town costumed site guide
As a costumed site guide, you will be based in the Goods office at Blists Hill but will spend most of your time leading groups of visitors around the site. You will conduct tours in third person which will have a variety of specialist focus.
Find out more about the role here.
jackfield VISITOR ENGAGEMENT facilitATOR
As a facilitator at Jackfield Tile Museum you will verbally provide information that delivers the key learning points for the site whilst guiding visitors around the site.
Find out more about the role here.
learning volunteer - school greeteR
This volunteer role is to welcome school groups as they arrive at Blists Hill Victorian Town.
Find out more about the role here.
LEARNING VOLUNTEER - victorian school helpER
Would you like to meet school groups who are attending the Victorian School Room workshop and prepare them for the experience? You will also accompany the group to the schoolroom.
Find out more about the role here.
costumed steam operatoR
You will be a key part of the visitor offer and instrumental in delivering the museum Trusts charitable aims. As a costumed steam demonstrator, you will operate items of the Trusts working machinery collection and explain its operation and significance in the third person.
Find out more about the role here.
Volunteer Tour Guides
We're looking for some people to lead guided tours at three of our museum sites.
Broseley Pipeworks: The volunteer tour guides lead guided tours for visitors around the unique time capsule workshops and galleries of Broseley Pipeworks. Find out more about the role here >
Jackfield Tile Museum: The volunteer tour guides lead guided tours for visitors around the workshops and galleries of Jackfield Tile Museum; re-telling the history of the area and the significant impact the site had. Find out more about the role here >
Tar Tunnel: The volunteer tour guides lead guided tours for pre-booked groups from Coalport China Museum to the Tar Tunnel. Please note: this role involves spending periods of time outdoors and walking a short distance between the Museum sites. Find out more about the role here >
Fancy joining us? Drop us a line to talk through your perfect role, call 01952 435 919 or email volunteering@ironbridge.org.uk
If you have queries or questions about volunteering, you might find the answer here:
Thank you for your interest in volunteering with the Ironbridge Gorge Museum Trust. Please let us know a bit more about yourself, your interests, skills and availability, by completing the form below. We will then contact you to discuss the very latest volunteering opportunities we have available that might meet your needs.
*You may be asked at a later date to complete a further application process.
Please download our Volunteer Enquiry Form (Word document).
Corporate Volunteering is a great way to build teams, deliver on your CSR targets and for your colleagues to learn new skills and have lots of fun.
Employer Supported Volunteering allows for groups of employees to support the charitable work of the Trust by helping deliver larger projects and supporting activities.
Each project is different and can be matched to your needs and objectives. Activities can either be physical or desk based, indoor or outdoors but are always fun and rewarding.
We welcome groups of any size and for any duration, from half a day to a regular commitment over the year. Full operational and administrative support will be given throughout the project, including risk assessments and all health and safety training.
In the past Corporate Volunteers have helped us:
- Catalogue our costume collection
- Create a new sensory garden at Coalport
- Steward events
- Test a new App
- Build a new greenhouse
For more information about Corporate Volunteers, please get in touch with the Volunteer Coordinator on 01952 435 919.
Corporate Membership Scheme
You can also help out by joining our Business Club, where your business will not only enjoy the status and prestige of being associated with one of the largest independent museums in the world but you will receive a range of exclusive benefits and fantastic offers. Click here for more details.
Hayley is one of our costumed demonstrators who volunteers in the cottages.
She was very hesitant when she first came to us two years ago, but loves learning about and sharing the history of the area, and enjoys dressing up.
She tells about her journey:
“When I first started I was shy with the visitors, and I was very quiet. But since I started coming out of my shell I have more confidence. I like making the visitors laugh. I enjoy meeting different people and learning to do rag rugs. On Wednesdays we toast some crumpets on the fire. We call them Pikelets.”
Sheila volunteers once a fortnight with the Curatorial Team and also weekly with the Archaeology team.
Here she is in the warehouse (where some of the artefacts in the Museum collection are stored) sorting old coins according to the monarchs on them.
She describes what it has been like since she began volunteering five years ago:
“It’s all sorts of cleaning up and sorting out, photographing and recording. It’s surprising what interesting things you can find, actually.
It’s quite horrendous when you find things here that you recognise from your childhood,” She laughs, “That’s a bit of a shock to the system!”
Watch this quick video and meet Paul who volunteers at Blists Hill Victorian Town as a gardener.
He looks after the pleasure gardens and all the other ornamental planting around the site.
in this quick video you will meet Thelma who is a Volunteer Guide at Rosehill House.
Thelma helps bring to life the story of how members of the Darby family lived there hundreds of years ago.