Why the Museum of Zoology and University of Cambridge Museums need this role
The Museum of Zoology Education team is delighted to be running our first Portals to the World course in starting in January 2019. This is a museum engagement programme designed specifically for people with dementia, who are still living at home, and their care partners (spouses, family or friends). The aim of the course is to improve museum inclusion by engaging with science and social engagement in order to provide an enjoyable cultural experience for people with dementia and their carers.
The Portals Course is six weeks long and run in partnership with Dementia Compass. Each week, participants gather in the museum for a short talk by a museum staff member, followed by a handling session or a practical activity.
We are looking for committed volunteers to support the Course and Alumni programme. Portals to the World volunteers need to be empathetic to the needs of both people with dementia and their care partners and be willing to support the project in a range of ways to enhance the experience of the participants.
Volunteer tasks
• To assist and support the programme team to provide a warm welcome to participants and to undertake welcome activities as directed; for example, helping with seating, distributing badges, assisting with orientation, making tea etc.
• To have a clear understanding of the sessions’ planned activities so that this can be shared with participants, using a person centred approach to communicate plans.
• To empathetically support the participants’ walk through the museum to the chosen gallery space, seeking guidance from the programme team where necessary.
• To assist participants and support their undertaking of the associated arts activity or handling session (training given).
• To offer appropriate and respectful responses to the achievements of all participants.
• To take part in an evaluation at the end of each session or event.
• To carry out tasks as directed by programme staff and to refer to Museum staff in situations of conflict or uncertainty.
What you will gain from this role
• Training in engaging and supporting people with dementia and their care partners.
• Skills to enhance engagement with people with dementia and their care partners.
• Being part of an enthusiastic and experienced team.
• Meeting new people within your local community
• Satisfaction of giving back.
• Gaining cultural experience within a supportive environment.
• Listening to specialist curatorial talks.
• Undertaking hands on creative activities.
• A behind the scenes museum experience.
Skills required
- Volunteers from all backgrounds are welcome, especially those who have an interest in or experience of supporting people with dementia and their carers.
- Critically, volunteers must be empathetic to the needs of people with dementia and their care partners and must be willing to understand and embrace a person-centred approach to engagement.
- A passion for science, museums and the cultural sector would be advantageous but you are not required to have academic or practical science or zoology experience.
- Excellent interpersonal and verbal communication skills are required, and punctuality and reliability are essential.
As we are trying to create a peer-to-peer working environment, expressions of interest from those aged 60 or above are particularly welcome. However, if you have key experience of being with people with dementia and are younger than 60 we would be pleased to hear from you.
Key dates and time involvement
- 4th November, 5.00pm - deadline for submission of your ‘expression of interest form’. You will hear back from us by 7th November
- Tuesday 20th November, 3.00-5.00pm - introduction session for potential volunteers (please note that we often have a lot of interest in these volunteer roles, as such we will invite people along who are the best fit to the role)
- 17th January, 10.30-3.30pm activity and access training for Portals team
- Thursdays, 1.30-4 pm, 31st January–7th March
- After the course there will monthly Alumni sessions that volunteers will be invited to support.
Should this role be right for you, we ask that you commit to both of the training sessions and at least five of the six course meetings. It is important that volunteers attend these sessions in order to build trust and relationships over time.
Location: Museum of Zoology, Downing Street, Cambridge, CB2 3EJ
Responsible to: Sara Steele, Education Assistant, Museum of Zoology
Training and Support
The Museum of Zoology will aim to provide sufficient information and training for those selected to perform the volunteer role through training days and at other times as deemed necessary. There will also be an opportunity for reflection and sharing learning following every session.
Health and safety responsibilities
Due to the nature of the Portals to the World programme, selected volunteers will need to complete a police check and a Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly CRB) check. In addition, you will be responsible for your own health and safety and that of others with whom you volunteer, by reporting all potential and actual health and safety matters including accidents using the correct procedures.
To Apply
Please complete an Expression of Interest form, outlining your suitability for this role, by 4th November.
Send this to Kayleigh Boyle, Volunteer Coordinator, Museum of Zoology, c/o Museum of Zoology, Downing Street, Cambridge, CB2 3EJ or zoovol@hermes.cam.ac.uk.
About the Museum of Zoology
The University Museum of Zoology holds a collection of approximately 4 million specimens covering the entire animal kingdom, past and present, of which around 5,000 are on public display. The collections rival those of major museums world-wide and are significant for our knowledge of the history of fauna around the world, and for the history of science itself.
The museum’s main purpose is to promote and advance the understanding and appreciation of the richness and diversity of animal life in the past, present and future of our planet.
Find out more at www.museum.zoo.cam.ac.uk
About the University of Cambridge Museums
University of Cambridge Museums is a consortium of the eight University Museums, which works in partnership with the Cambridge University Botanic Garden and other Cambridge University collections. They include: Fitzwilliam Museum, Kettle's Yard, Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology, Museum of Zoology, Museum of Classical Archaeology, Whipple Museum of the History of Science, The Sedgwick Museum of Earth Sciences and The Polar Museum. The University's collections are a world-class resource for researchers, students and members of the public representing the country’s highest concentration of internationally important collections, all within walking distance of the City Centre.
About Dementia Compass
Dementia Compass is a not-for-profit organisation which works to support both an individual with a dementia diagnosis and his or her family members (carers) to access resources and opportunities that make the everyday more enjoyable… to make living with dementia work well. They are volunteer led and offer a programme of activities based around Cambridge that are designed to meet the needs of our community using evidence of what is possible with cognitive impairment focussing on ability over disability. For more information, see www.dementiacompass.com
