Volunteer
Volunteers make a vital difference to our work and we are extremely grateful to all our volunteers whose time and effort bring so much to the Herbert and its visitors.
What Do Volunteers Do?
The majority of the Herbert's volunteers work directly with the public welcoming visitors to events, assisting them in our exhibition spaces or helping the learning team with family activities. Other volunteers support the behind the scenes work of our marketing and collections teams.
Who Can Volunteer?
You don't need to have specialist knowledge to volunteer, just an enthusiasm for our work and a willingness to learn new skills and/or working practices.
Volunteers at the Herbert come from a variety of backgrounds. Our youngest volunteers are 16 and our oldest volunteers are enjoying their retirement years.
The amount of commitment time that we are looking for depends on the volunteer role but is usually flexible.
Role descriptions will identify what skills and qualities are needed. For example volunteers who help us with a public facing role need to enjoy meeting people, have a sense of fun and be interested in the museum, its collections and exhibitions.
How to Volunteer
To get involved you will first need to decide what you might like to do. To find out what volunteering opportunities are currently available please have a look at the Current Opportunities section on this page.
If you are interested in any Herbert Art Gallery & Museum opportunities please download and complete the Herbert Expression of Interest Form and send it to volunteering@cvlife.co.uk or post to: Volunteer Coordinator, Herbert Art Gallery and Museum, Jordan Well, Coventry, CV1 5QP.
If you are interested in any Coventry Archives opportunities, please complete the Archives Expression of Interest Form and send it to volunteering@culturecoventry.com or post to: Volunteer Coordinator, Herbert Art Gallery and Museum, Jordan Well, Coventry, CV1 5QP.
Early Years Learning Assistant
We are looking for enthusiastic individuals who are keen to gain experience with our youngest visitors (those aged 0-4 years old). As an early years volunteer you will be friendly, energetic, easy to talk to and patient.
The Herbert offers a wide range of early years activities that include sensory play sessions and our VERY messy Mini Makers activities. As a volunteer, you will be involved in setting up our arts and craft acitivities and greeting and assisting families. These sessions get incredibly busy and involve a lot of tidying up, but most importantly fun!
If you would like to be considered for this unique volunteering opportunity, please contact Rupert Hedley on 024 7623 7549 or by emailing volunteering@cvlife.co.uk
Find out more here
Volunteer Learning Assistant for Schools
We are looking for enthusiastic individuals who are keen to gain experience with our school visitors (mainly primary schools, age 4-11). As a Volunteer Learning Assistant you will be friendly, approachable and helpful. The Herbert offers a wide range of activities for school groups from across the West Midlands that include art and history sessions. These sessions can be busy and may involve preparation and tidying up.
If you would like to be considered for this unique volunteering opportunity, please contact Rupert Hedley on 024 7623 7549 or by emailing volunteering@cvlife.co.uk
Find out more here
Community Garden Project Volunteer
We have created a community garden outside the Herbert Art Gallery and Museum which will be used for diverse activities with community groups. It also provides a safe and welcoming green space for all to use, promoting health and wellbeing.
We are looking for enthusiastic, green-fingered volunteers who can help us develop and maintain the garden to create a happy space for people to connect with nature.
If you would like to be considered for this unique volunteering opportunity, please contact Rupert Hedley: 024 7623 7549 or email: volunteering@cvlife.co.uk
Find out more here
Dippy in Coventry - Exhibition Gallery Volunteer
The Nation's Favourite Dinosaur 'Dippy' is currently at The Herbert Art Gallery & Museum!
And we need your help to support an exceptional customer experience. You will be part of the Dippy customer experience, ensuring all visitors receive a warm welcome and a full appreciation and enjoyment of the Dippy exhibit and directing visitors to other areas of the museum making it a truly memorable experience.
If you would like to be considered for this unique volunteering opportunity, please contact Rupert Hedley: 02476 715 498 or email: rupert.hedley@cvlife.co.uk
Find out more here
Brick Dinos and Jason and the Adventure of 254 Exhibition Gallery Volunteer
In summer 2025, the Herbert is launching two new exhibitions.
We are looking for friendly and confident volunteers to interact with visitors to our summer exhibitions. These exhibitions will be installed across all our temporary galleries and the roles will entail significant interaction between volunteers and visitors:
Brick Dinos enables visitors to immerse themselves in the world of dinosaurs and other prehistoric creatures, developed in conjunction with palaeontologists. From tiny insects to a raptor-like Masiakasaurus that’s four metres long, audiences will be able to explore and come face to face with these amazing creatures.
In Jason and the Adventure of 254, Jason Wilsher-Mills revisits his childhood memories of what was happening inside and outside his body during a transformative time. He has been paralysed from the neck down due to an autoimmune condition, which was triggered by catching chicken pox at 11 years old. Because he was unable to physically explore the wider world around him, he came to inhabit an interior world filled with action heroes, TV shows, films, comics, books and his own vivid imagination. The exhibition is also a celebration of family, the artist’s working-class background and the opportunities he received through hospital education.
If you would like to be considered for this unique volunteering opportunity, please contact Rupert Hedley: 02476 715 498 or email: rupert.hedley@cvlife.com
Find out more here
If you would like any more information about volunteering then please contact us at volunteering@cvlife.co.uk
School Placements:
Due to limited staff capacity, we are currently unable to support any work experience placements for schools this academic year.