• What are the benefits of volunteering?

Volunteering is a great way to meet new people, learn new skills build your community and strengthen your CV.  It should be fun! We can provide a certificate to demonstrate work carried out for English Heritage to show future employers or education providers.

There is also opportunity to visit and learn about the other properies in our care with our discretionary Volunteer Pass.

• Who volunteers for English Heritage?

We welcome people from all walks of life, no matter how much or how little time people are able to give us. Meet some of our volunteers and find out what they say about their experiences.

• How much time do I have to give?

The majority of our volunteering opportunities are for a few hours a week and continue on an ongoing basis, but we have a range of roles from full-time placements to one-off events. Full details of all our current vacancies can be found on the main volunteer page. Take a look at the different roles we have available to see how much time each role normally involves and choose the one that suits you best.

• I'm under 16, can I still volunteer?

The minimum age for volunteering at English Heritage is 16. There is no upper age limit to volunteering; a volunteer’s ability to complete a task or role will be assessed on an individual basis.

• Can I claim benefits while volunteering? 

Yes. You are free to volunteer while you are receiving benefits as long as the work you do is unpaid, and you meet the rules of your benefit. You can find all the latest information about volunteering and benefits on the GOV.UK website.

• I am not a British national, can I volunteer in the UK?

There are no restrictions on people volunteering from the European Union. Volunteers from outside the EU (including refugees and asylum seekers) need to have an appropriate visa or confirmation that they are able to undertake work in this country.

• What skills and experience do I need?

The majority of our roles do not require any specific skills or experience. The skills and qualities we are looking for are always specified in the role description. Current roles are listed in volunteer opportunities. If our volunteering roles require you to have particular skills these will be clearly stated.

• What training and support will I be given?

Your volunteer manager will help to prepare and support you to fulfil your role. All volunteers have a staff member who they can go to for help and support. Often there are also more experienced volunteers to offer advice to new members of the team. You will also be provided with a Volunteer Handbook which gives practical information to help you in your role.

• Can I claim expenses? 

Whilst as a volunteer you give your time for free, we do not expect you to be left out-of-pocket for any volunteering activity you carry out for English Heritage. You are able to claim reasonable travel expenses, which your manager will expain when you start or you can ask about when you meet one of the team. 

• Where can I volunteer?

There are hundreds of historic properties in our care and we have volunteering opportunities at most of them. We also have roles in our Bristol, London, Swindon and York offices and many more you can do from home. 

• Do English Heritage offer work experience or internship opportunities? 

English Heritage does not currently offer work experience or internships but we do offer a small number of work placement opportunities for those over 18 years of age. We also have many volunteer roles that can provide a great way to gain experience. Recruitment for all of these opportunities is done via our website where you will be required to apply for advertised roles using our registration form. All of these opportunities can be found by searching for them on the main volunteer page.

• How do I contact the volunteer team? 

You can contact the volunteering team by email or by phone on 0370 333 1181. We will get back to you as soon as possible. Due to the high volume of enquiries this may take up to 10 working days. Unfortunately we cannot respond to speculative enquiries. Current roles are listed on the main volunteering page.