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Volunteer Policy

Volunteering with the Cheshire Military Museum

About us

A first-class, nationally recognised and sustainable museum that uses the history of Cheshire’s Military Regiments to move, inspire, challenge, educate and entertain.

Purpose of our volunteer policy

Our volunteer policy has been created to show our volunteers and potential volunteers that we have spent time and care in planning how volunteers will be welcomed at the Cheshire Military Museum. It also outlines that all volunteers will be treated in a fair and consistent way. It should also help our volunteers understand what support is available to them and what they can expect from us.

Our vision and mission for volunteering

Volunteering is a great way to share your enthusiasm, skills and ideas whilst having fun and meeting like-minded people. By volunteering for The Cheshire Military Museum you will be making a positive contribution to the running of the museum. Volunteers are vital to our work.

Attracting volunteers and volunteer agreement

We have a range of opportunities for volunteers to get involved in. On our website you can read through our volunteer role profiles. All you need to do then is to complete our very short Volunteer Registration Form. Alternatively, you can come along in person and enquire about becoming a volunteer.
Once we receive a copy of your completed registration form, a member of our team will get in touch with more information on specific opportunities and we can decide together which option best matches your interests and time availability and also our needs. Your help will be greatly appreciated and really will make a difference.

CRB Checks

Some volunteer roles will require a CRB check to inform The Cheshire Military Museum of any criminal convictions that a person wishing to volunteer may have. For example, any volunteer position which involves regulated activity with children or vulnerable adults will be subject to a CRB check.

Induction and training

It does not matter how much you already know, as there will be opportunities to learn, and we have roles to suit every level of expertise.
There will be an induction prepared and delivered by one of our staff. This will include:

• Some information about the Cheshire Military Museum, our vision, mission and our future plans;
• the role of the volunteer;
• introduction to staff and other volunteers;
• tour around our facilities and see some of our initiatives;
• copy of all the relevant policies including this volunteer policy and also our Health and Safety, Equality and Diversity and Conflict Management;
• essential procedures such as timekeeping, rota, routine;
• information about training and ongoing learning opportunities

There will be a trial period of 12 weeks to give the Cheshire Military Museum and you time to discover if you are suited to each other. A review will be made midway through the trial period and also at the end. This is not an assessment, it is just so that we can be sure that you benefit the most from the volunteering experience and maximise the time you are giving freely.

Support

Our Volunteer Co-ordinator will offer support to you. They will remain your key contact throughout your volunteering with us. This will include regular meetings with you to discuss how you are getting on, discuss any training needs and deal with issues arising. This will also ensure that the Cheshire Military Museum are doing all we can to make your volunteering experience an enjoyable and meaningful one.

Recognition and reward

We could not do the work we do without our volunteers. To acknowledge this we will always say thank you and show appreciation for a job well done. There will always be a listening ear or shoulder to lean on.

We will hold social events each year to celebrate our achievements; this might be a certificate presentation for volunteers or a celebration at Christmas. During these events you will get an opportunity to meet other volunteers and supporters of our work and share in our plans for the future.
We will take opportunities in our website and Facebook page, annual general meetings, and local and national press to praise the achievements of our volunteers.

Expenses

We value our volunteers and want to ensure that there are no barriers to volunteer involvement. All reasonable out of pocket expenses for travel will be reimbursed. In order to claim expenses, an Expenses Form must be completed and should be handed in at the finance office.

Insurance, health and safety, accidents and risk assessment

The Cheshire Military Museum has a valid insurance policy so that volunteers are covered by public liability insurance, which you are advised to read. It covers the volunteering activities you will be doing. We will keep reminding you of our Health and Safety Policy and give simple instructions on how to perform each task safely. We have clear procedures for accidents and emergencies.

Resolving problems

We hope that you will have a very enjoyable experience volunteering with us. However if your role as a volunteer does not meet with your expectations or with the commitments we have made to you, we want you to feel comfortable about letting us know. First of all, talk to the person who leads the team and he or she should be able to sort it out with you before it becomes a problem. If you do not feel this will resolve things you can speak to the Volunteer co-ordinator.

Confidentiality

We expect all volunteers to adhere to confidentiality guidelines which will be explained to you before you begin volunteering with us and this also includes use of social media and contact with any press.

Equality, Diversity and Inclusion

The Cheshire Military Museum is committed to embracing diversity and promoting equality and inclusion. When representing as a volunteer the Cheshire Military Museum expect you to support our commitment to promoting equality.

Volunteering whilst on benefit

You can still volunteer with us if you are receiving benefits provided that you follow the legal guidelines.

This is the Volunteer Policy of the Cheshire Military Museum