Culture and volunteering

Volunteering has been prevalent in the cultural sector for decades, many organisations draw on volunteers to help with various roles and responsibilities. Volunteers come with different skills and expertise, some give up their time for doing things they enjoy such as story telling in museums. Others feel passionate about a particular art form and give their expertise to develop and grow the organisation as board members. Volunteers play an important role in the sector, without this support many of the small museums and galleries would not open.

As part of the Mayor's volunteer strategy, Team London - a city-wide initiative aimed at increasing volunteering and the engagement of Londoners in big charitable projects -  the Mayor’s Office in association with the London Cultural Strategy Group and the London Cultural Quarters have commissioned a guide which reflects current practice in the cultural sector and gives 'top tips' on how to develop and grow a volunteering programme and increasing opportunities for Londoners to get involved in culture through volunteering.

The guide was launched on 13 June 2011 at City Hall, following a consultation event to explore key initiatives to take forward and develop volunteering practices.