Archives and Collections Volunteers
Our collections volunteers are focused on our digitisation activities, both scanning original documents, photographs and negatives, and transcribing handwritten documents at home.
Public Engagement Volunteers
Our programme volunteers are the smiling faces in our building at our special STEM (science, technology, engineering and maths) and heritage events, and helpful hands behind the scenes prepping for our activities and workshops. Whether you're an expert communicator and scientist, or just someone who is passionate about our region's industrial past or inspiring the future generation of innovators and engineers, there is a role for you.
Training Opportunities
The Common Room cares about the skills development of all of our volunteers working across the project. We currently offer in-house training to support our volunteers to develop their communication and confidence skills. There is also specific training around digitisation of archived material, public engagement and oral history.
Volunteer in the spotlight
Meet Alistair who is our longest-standing scanning volunteer. He even took an evening class in image manipulation techniques to gain further skills to work with the collections! Having worked through our Tracts collection, Alistair went on to scan the journal run "Colliery Guardian" whilst our building was closed for refurbishment. Even the pandemic hasn't stopped Alistair's contribution; since 2020 he has been working from home transcribing handwritten letter books into Word and has done hundreds of pages since lockdown began.
Want to get involved?
Contact us or have a look on our News page for current volunteering opportunities
