Oral History Cataloguing Volunteer

Role description
We are looking for volunteers to help us catalogue and review the oral history collections at the National Maritime Museum. The collection currently comprises 134 oral histories covering subjects as broad as the Merchant Navy, fishing, the First and Second World Wars, the RNLI, migration and polar exploration. Many of the interviews were recorded by a curator in the 1970s and cover seafaring from the age of sail through to the beginning of containerisation.

We are seeking your assistance to document and catalogue these oral histories so that we can make them publicly available in the future.

Successful applicants will gain experience of RMG’s unique oral history collections, while also will gaining wider knowledge of a curatorial department at a national museum.


What the role involves
- Using time coded summaries to create catalogue records for oral histories.
- Recording any sensitive material/any third parties mentioned by name/any details which may help us trace next of kin.
- Listening to oral histories and correcting transcripts produced using AI.
Please note: some of these recordings contain distressing material and also language which is considered offensive.

What we’re looking for in you
- Excellent organisational skills and experience of working with minimal supervision.
- An interest in history and demonstrably good research skills.
- Ability to process data and make it available to others.
- Accuracy and high attention to detail.
- Excellent IT skills and a high standard of written and spoken English.
- Demonstrable interest in history, museums and/or archives.
- A flexible approach to working as part of a team.
- Being reliable, responsible and trustworthy.
- Being organised/effective time management.


Benefits of volunteering and what you can expect from us
- Excellent archival and museum research experience.
- Access to museum staff and expertise, and gaining knowledge and skills in a national museum.
- Being part of a friendly, diverse team of staff and volunteers.
- The opportunity to make a valuable contribution to the work of a national museum.
- Develop your research skills.
- Training and induction provided.
- Complimentary tickets and free entry to all of our sites, and access to discounts in our shops and restaurants.
- Expenses can be reimbursed up to a limit of £15 per day (conditions apply). Please note we are unable to provide parking facilities.

Time Commitment: As this is a virtual volunteering opportunity, volunteers may set their own hours but we are looking for a commitment of 8 hours a week. There will be a monthly catch-up meeting on Microsoft Teams on Wednesday mornings, which volunteers would be expected to attend.

Volunteers are asked to commit to 3-6 months initially, with the possibility of ongoing volunteering after that.

Closing date: 7 June 2026 at 11:59pm. Volunteers may be selected on a rolling basis, so please apply as soon as you can.

Please note, we can only take on volunteers who are 18+.

Museum Website: https://app.vacancy-filler.co.uk/salescrm/Careers/CareersPage.aspx?e=LMo8nnTwYNbarSD9rCr8aEh2ljzGxeZmHYvpQrn9d-yyqmHAy-T-V6soxB_mgT4BTK0NKU7Dlyc