General Support Volunteer

Purfleet Heritage & Military Centre is a non-profit making registered charity housed within Magazine No.5, the last of what was once the Purfleet Royal Magazine for Gunpowder. Built between 1762 and 1765 Magazine number 5 is a scheduled grade 1 ancient monument of significant historical value. The centre is run by a group of enthusiastic volunteers who aim to preserve local history and promote education for all ages. The centre offers visitors a wide variety of exhibitions covering local history, how we lived, the home front and military history covering WW1 & 2, Trafalgar, vintage toys and games and much more.

The centre is now looking for additional volunteers to undertake the following tasks:

1. Building upkeep and maintenance; Being an old and historic building there is always maintenance to be carried out, this includes painting, replacing light bulbs, gardening, car park upkeep and a variety of other tasks as and when they arise.

2. Assistance in organising and creating new displays, events and Projects; The centre has a wide variety of displays that require refreshing, especially when historical anniversaries come around, for example we will shortly be undertaking a new exhibition to commemorate the 80th anniversary of D-Day. We plan exhibitions with an aim to educate in a fun and participative way, We also aim to ensure we have displays that meet the school curriculum as well as encourage the visits of local groups such as Cubs, Scouts, U3A and historical societies. so if you would like to join us in the future planning and building of displays and exhibitions please pop along for a chat

3. Assisting and facilitating with school and group visits; We have a strong belief in preserving the past for future generations and try to make exhibitions and events appeal and inspire our visitors. We have a hands-on approach to artefacts, so schools and our younger visitors not only read about items but actually handle them. To achieve this we need volunteers to man specific areas around the Magazine and ensure that artefacts are handled both correctly and safely.

4. Manning of centre shop and tea bar; Volunteers can work in either, or both areas. In addition to serving visitors, volunteers will also be keeping a check on stocks marking items that are running low. When working in the tea bar there will also be a need to ensure hygiene rules are observed and acted on. Ideas for enhancing both areas will also be welcomed.

5. Contributing to Centre promotion, including website and social media updating; We are always looking for avenues to promote the Centre and attract new visitors and groups. This will include the use of the web, social media, email and direct contact with organisations and groups. If any of the above interests you please feel free to contact us. 

What skills do I need?

If you have skills that complement any of the tasks above that would be great, but the most important thing is enthusiasm and a willingness to work as part of a team. 

Location

This opportunity has no specific location e.g. can be carried out anywhere.