Interesting and challenging roles in a unique working environment
Volunteer at Historic Royal Palaces
We are a team of people who love and look after six of the most wonderful palaces in the world. We create space for spirits to stir and be stirred. We want everyone to feel welcome and accepted. We tell stories about the monarchs you know, and the lives you don’t. We let people explore and we set minds racing.
We are a charity, and your support gives the palaces a future, for everyone. Volunteers provide us with an immeasurable amount of support in achieving this, in so many ways, from sharing stories with visitors to helping out behind the scenes. Find out more about volunteering with us below.
Our volunteers provide a vital link
We believe our volunteers provide an important and invaluable link between the historic buildings in our care, our visitors, and the local community.
Volunteers complement and support the work of our staff, developing new talents for themselves. This enables us to further enrich and enhance the visitor experience and to undertake projects that we would not normally be able to carry out.
Types of Volunteer Roles
We have a wide range of exciting volunteer opportunities available at Historic Royal Palaces. They include things like:
- Welcoming and supporting visitors to our palaces, to help ensure they have productive visits.
- Helping to maintain and develop our wonderful palace gardens.
- Supporting as object handlers, who show interesting historical artefacts to palace visitors.
- Assisting our Schools and Communities team with educational visits to our palaces.
Why volunteer with us?
Volunteering with us gives you the opportunity to grow as an individual, as well as the following:
- Discover more about our palaces and take a look behind the scenes.
- Meet new friends
- Develop your interpersonal skills by engaging with visitors from all over the world.
Whatever your interests, volunteering can expand your horizons, open up new possibilities and uncover hidden interests and talents.
What we offer
We offer our volunteers the following:
- Induction, training and ongoing support in their roles.
- Free individual entrance to all HRP sites and a discount in our shops.
- 50% discount on food and drink in our cafes.
- Travel expenses reimbursed (including mileage for cars).
- Volunteer parties, events, and trips to visit other heritage and cultural organisations.
Apply for a role
The application process for volunteering at Historic Royal Palaces is as follows:
- Use the application link below which will take you to a secure application platform.
- You will be asked to create an account and enter your details.
- Your application will then be forwarded to the appropriate volunteer managers at our palaces.
We cannot always guarantee a role will be immediately available at your chosen palace. However, even if there are no roles currently available, you will be place on a waiting list to volunteer at the palace you have specific an interest in.
Requirements
All our volunteers are required to have security clearance and must therefore be over 18 years old. If you are under 18, you may wish to take a look at our internship, apprenticeship and work experience opportunities.
Apply to volunteerContact us
If you have any questions about volunteering at Historic Royal Palaces, please email us at volunteers@hrp.org.uk.