The history of the Paralympic Movement is alive with personal stories of courage and determination, humble beginnings and also the power of community. Without the continued support of volunteers, the Paralympic Movement and Games would not have evolved into the global event it is today.
Professor Sir Ludwig Guttmann the founding father of the Paralympic Games is known to have said:
If I ever did one good thing in my medical career it was to introduce sport into the treatment and rehabilitation of disabled people.
What will your one good thing be?
As it was then, so it is today. Our dedicated volunteers are an integral park of our work. Put simply we cannot do what we do without them!
There are a range of ways in which you can donate your time from engaging visitors with our displays, supporting our learning and engagement programme, researching for the website through to working on our collections. There really is something for everyone!
In exchange for your time you will not only learn more about Paralympic Heritage but you will be joining a community passionate about uncovering and sharing stories about the history of the Paralympic movement. You will have the opportunity to use your existing skills and develop new ones and access to a range of training and volunteer events.
Schools and Scout Groups - In this role, you will work closely with the Learning and Engagement team to deliver our learning programme. This is a great opportunity to share local Paralympic Heritage with groups/schools and young people instilling in them a sense of pride in this very local story.
Heritage Centre - In the role of Events Volunteer at the Heritage Centre you will work closely with the Learning and Engagement team to deliver our learning programme to groups visiting our Museum through guided tours and activities sharing the history of the games with the public.
Outreach - In the role of Events Volunteer - Outreach, you will work closely with the Learning and Engagement team to deliver our learning programme through outreach events in the local and wider community. This is a great opportunity to share the story of the Paralympic Games with the public.
Sports and Paralympians - In this role, you will be directly involved in the preservation of Paralympic history and in supporting the NPHT's major project through research uncovering the history of Cerebral Palsy Sport, Dwarf Sport and the Paralympians that have competed in these disciplines.
Object of the Month - Working closely with our Collections Officer, in this role you will help uncover the history of items in our collection through in-depth research, leading to a featured article on our website and social media, sharing our collection with a wider audience.
Box Listing - This is an exciting role for anyone with a passion for history and conserving the past. As a Box Listing Volunteer you will work closely with our Collections Officer to catalogue and preserve items in our collection, uncovering a trove of Paralympic stories.
Digitising - This is an exciting role for anyone with a passion for history and conserving the past. In this role, you can help to uncover and preserve the history of the Paralympics by digitising items in our collection and sharing the Paralympic story with the world.
3D Scanning - This is a great opportunity to develop specialist IT skills such as photogrammetry and 3D scanning whilst helping to make our collection much more accessible to a wider audience.
This role is ideal for anyone with a passion for history and an interest in hearing people's life stories. In this role you will listen to the Oral Histories of many different people connected to the Paralympics and type out a written record of the interview helping to make these rich stories more accessible.
In this role, you can help test out some of our virtual resources such as our app and Global Museum, providing valuable feedback so that we can continue to develop and improve what we can offer to the public.
Promotions Volunteer - In this role, you will work closely with our Marketing Officer to help produce exciting posters and promotional content for the NPHT, helping to publicise and raise awareness of the work the NPHT does.
Photography/Videography - Whether it is taking photos of items in our collection to preserve Paralympic heritage, attending outreach events and capturing photos and videos, or assisting with marketing material; in this broad role you will be working with our Marketing Officer to assist the wider NPHT team. It is also a great opportunity to develop your photography and videography skills.
To find out more about volunteering with us please contact us at: [email protected]
As a volunteer I am grateful for the opportunity to contribute to a variety of tasks and feel proud be part of something that is so enriching for the community and beyond. The work the NPHT do to preserve these stories and raise awareness is truly inspiring.
Supporting our Heritage Trust today is knowledge for tomorrow.