Volunteer

We wouldn’t be able to open without our fantastic team of volunteers. As a charity, we rely on volunteers from all walks of life to help keep everything running smoothly. From being on the galleries to assisting curators with research and documentation, there’s a variety of ways you can help out at Tullie.

Currently, we have over 160 volunteers who give us anywhere from a few hours a week to a few days. Altogether, they gave us over 11,000 hours last year! At the moment, we’re particularly looking for volunteers to help on Saturdays and Sundays. Those hours were clearly put to good use as they took home the Volunteering Award at the Society for Museum Archaeology Awards in 2021. In 2022, our volunteer David won Volunteer of the Year at the Museums + Heritage Awards.

If you’re kind enough to give us some of your time, you’ll get plenty back in return. We put on social events to say thanks to our volunteers which have included store tours, film nights and pizza parties. You’ll also get free admission to the museum.

Sound like it might be your kind of thing? Get in touch via the form below after which our Volunteer Coordinator will contact you to arrange an informal chat, and you could soon be part of Team Tullie.

Why volunteer at Tullie?

Like we said further up the page, we wouldn’t be able to open all our galleries without you, your help is vital. As a thank you, you also get the following benefits once you’ve completed a certain amount of volunteer hours.

Free entry to the museum

Discount in the Tullie shop

Discount in Café Tullie

Free entry to other museums with the Northern Museum Volunteer Pass Scheme (click for more information)

Regular events and socials to say thank you - usually in June during National Volunteer Week and around Christmas

In addition to these benefits you also get to meet plenty of like-minded people, get some good experience for your CV and the satisfaction of helping out a local charity.

Current volunteer roles

Volunteer Gallery Engager

Welcome visitors and help bring the museum collections to life.

Garden Volunteer

Help us maintain our beautiful gardens.

Collections Preparation Volunteer Data Collection

Help us with documentation as we prepare our new gallery.

Collections Preparation Volunteer Collections Handling

Get involved with collections care as we prepare our new gallery.

Volunteering FAQs

I’m a student/ work during the week. Can I volunteer on evenings and weekends?

Of course! We have Gallery Engager opportunities over the weekends and the last Thursday of each month. Unfortunately we don’t have any behind the scenes opportunities over evenings or weekends.

How much time do I need to commit each week?

This varies depending on the role you’re interested in – some roles have more flexibility than others but we will try our best to meet your needs. At the moment, most of our volunteer Gallery Engager shifts last 3 hours. Some of our Engagers have a regular shift on a set day, but others prefer to fill gaps and keep it varied.

Some behind the scenes roles might be for a fixed time period.

How old do I need to be to volunteer?

To volunteer by yourself you need to be 16 or over. If you are over 13 you can volunteer with a responsible adult as part of our Volunteer Family Programme.

What’s the recruitment process?

We advertise our roles online – if a role appeals to you please fill in the enquiry form. You will be invited in for an informal chat. Successful applicants will have a full induction and training before they start volunteering with us.

I’m living with a disability – am I still able to volunteer?

Absolutely. Each role is different and has different requirements, but we will always try our best to meet access needs (within the constraints of our listed building). If you see a role that interests you please get in touch and we can discuss further.

I have a criminal record – can I still volunteer?

Yes, depending on the role you’re interested in. Please let us know of any unspent convictions when you apply. We will assess suitability for the role based on the nature of the convection and the role applied for.

Can I do my Duke of Edinburgh at Tullie?

Yes. If you are over 16 and your DofE programme fits in with one of our roles.

Are there any perks that come with volunteering at Tullie?

Yes, you can visit the museum for free as often as you like. You will receive 10% discount in our shop and 15% discount in our café. We hold volunteer thank you events and socials through the year. You will also have access to the Northern Museum Pass – which allows you to visit lots of other museums for free.