Front of House and Behind-the Scenes Volunteering roles are not mutually exclusive; indeed many of our Volunteers have roles in both areas.
Support work behind the scenes is complemented by meeting Museum visitors Front of House and Front of House working often leads to an interest in the ‘hidden’ roles of our Museum Volunteers.
Follow this link for more information about our Behind-the-Scenes Volunteer roles.
Our Front of House Teams comprise Receptionists, Retail Shop Assistants, Tea Shop Hosts and Museum Stewards.
We are looking for enthusiastic volunteers to join our Front of House teams to assist in the day-to-day running of the Museum, during opening hours.
The Museum is open weekday afternoons, 2.00pm until 5.00pm from Tuesday to Friday and afternoons on Sunday and on Saturdays, between 11.00am and 5.00pm.
Ideally Volunteers would be able to commit to at least 2 shifts per month in order to have a regular rota operating where possible.
How to get in touch.
If you see something that attracts you then please be in touch;
either by emailing volunteering@radstockmuseum.co.uk , contacting the Museum at the address below or by calling in for a chat.
If you have a skill not mentioned here then we would also love to hear from you.
Please contact: Radstock Museum, Waterloo Road, Radstock, BA3 3EP
T: 01761 437722
Receptionist
Our Volunteer Receptionists are the first point of contact for visitors to the Museum. The role includes providing a warm welcome for all visitors, answering queries and helping visitors to orientate themselves to ensure they have a comfortable, interesting and enjoyable visit to the Museum.
The Reception Volunteers also operate the till on the Admissions desk so confidence and accuracy with money is important: training for the tills will be given.
Museum Steward
The Museum Stewards provide a friendly welcome to visitors, helping to answer any questions they may have whilst safeguarding the Museum and its collections.
The work will involve greeting and talking to members of the public about the Museum’s collections and exhibits and the Radstock surrounding area generally; so an interest in the History of the Somerset Coalfield would be an advantage. However this would also be a fascinating topic to learn about if you are interested in local history and new to the Radstock area.
The Museum displays the Radstock, Midsomer Norton & District Museum Society’s collection of mining artefacts. These represent the Radstock area’s mining activities and the miners’ everyday life; artefacts of social, domestic, religious, agricultural and commercial interest with special reference to, for instance, the Co-operative movement and the Friendly Societies. Dedicated areas of the Museum galleries, which are on two floors, demonstrate the coalface and the miner’s hard, dangerous working conditions.
There are many permanent displays in the Museum which include; the Geology of the Mendips, with fossils unique to the coal measures and a Radstock Town Centre Model with the S & D (Somerset and Dorset) and GWR railway stations.
Three Special Exhibitions are staged each year that are often produced by Local Groups and can range from displays of Fine Needlework to historically important Research of the Coalfield Archives.
Retail Shop
The Shop Volunteers work as part of the Front of House team in staffing the Museum Shop. Their main duties are to meet and greet visitors to the Shop and to assist them with their purchases by providing information on items for sale. The Shop Volunteers operate the Shop till; training for which will be given. Confidence and accuracy with money are key requirements.
We are looking for people who are sensitive to visitors’ needs and who are happy talking to the public.
Tea Shop Host
The Museum Tea Shop serves a range of cakes, snacks and hot and cold drinks for sale to our visitors. It is a friendly space where people come to relax and chat. You would be part of a team of Volunteer Tea Shop hosts who prepare and serve the teas. You would also be expected to take charge of the day’s takings so confidence and accuracy with money is important.
You would liaise with the Museum Curator/Manager when Tea Shop stocks need replenishing. We run our Tea Room so as to meet all relevant hygiene and food safety standards: you would be given appropriate training if necessary.
How to get in touch.
If you see something that attracts you then please be in touch;
either by emailing volunteering@radstockmuseum.co.uk , contacting the Museum at the address below or by calling in for a chat.
If you have a skill not mentioned here then we would also love to hear from you.
Please contact: Radstock Museum, Waterloo Road, Radstock, BA3 3EP
T: 01761 437722
Notes general to all Volunteer positions.
There will always be a minimum of 3 Volunteers on duty in the Museum during opening hours. After a suitable period of training, shadowing and practice you would be expected to take responsibility for your own work station during your three hour shift.
Before you start work with us we will go through our basic health and safety procedures (including fire precautions, emergency exits, the emergency plan, accident report book), so that you can become familiar with the building; and we will discuss the details of the Volunteers’ roles and the shared rotas.
Background information about the building, its history and current interpretation is available to all.