Volunteering

Volunteers are integral and valued members of the Horniman team assisting us in both visitor-facing roles and vital work behind-the-scenes.

Along with a supportive learning environment, we offer the chance to gain new skills and experience or simply to do something you enjoy.

Current vacancies

Butterfly House Volunteer – Monday afternoons

Closing date: 08/06/2026

We are looking for enthusiastic volunteers to engage with visitors in our Butterfly House and join our friendly team on Monday afternoons. You don’t need any previous experience, just commitment and enthusiasm. We welcome applications from people of all ages and backgrounds. A diverse group of volunteers makes for a more enjoyable experience for everyone. Find out more in the role description below.

Applying for this role

Please complete our online application form, or email volunteering@horniman.ac.uk for an application form. Adjustments are available to support your application and placement in this role, please get in touch.

Saturday Family Craft Volunteer

We are looking for volunteers to support our weekly free Saturday Family Craft event. This is an ongoing role with a minimum 6-month commitment, 1 – 2 Saturdays a month. You don’t need any previous experience, just commitment and enthusiasm. We welcome applications from people of all ages and backgrounds. A diverse group of volunteers makes for a more enjoyable experience for everyone.

Applying for this role

Please complete our online application form, or email volunteering@horniman.ac.uk for an application form. Find out more in the role description below. We are taking applications for this role on a rolling basis, but we may remove the role from the website once we reach capacity.

Adjustments are available to support your application and placement in this role.

We can only accept applications when volunteering roles are advertised.

Find any current roles on this page.

We take volunteers from age 15 upwards though some roles will only be available to those aged 18 and over. Where this is the case, this will be clear on the role description. There is no upper age limit.

No. Volunteer roles are different from staff roles and do not lead to paid work.

However, they do provide an opportunity to gain skills and experience.

We reimburse out-of-pocket travel expenses up to a maximum of £12 per day.

Volunteers offering a full day shift can also be reimbursed lunch expenses.

For on-going roles which are usually weekly or fortnightly, like Engage, Family Activity or Gardening, we ask for a minimum of 4-5 months if possible.

Fixed term student volunteer placements last 3 months, doing 1-3 days a week.

We are able to provide a few work experience opportunities for school students each year, depending on capacity. Find out more on our work experience webpage.

Yes, you may volunteer whilst on benefits, but you would need to let the Job Centre know about your volunteering.

The Horniman acknowledges the contribution of volunteers in supporting the organisation to achieve its aim to connect people with global cultures and the natural world, and encourage everyone to shape a positive future for the world we all share.

Read the Volunteering Policy (PDF).