We are looking for volunteers to join our existing team and serve as ROG Volunteer Tour Guides to deliver public tours and short talks to visitors.  Tour guides play a key role in helping to introduce hundreds of people of all nationalities to the rich story of the ROG and the ‘search for longitude’, interpreting, explaining, entertaining, adding narrative flair to the exhibits, and answering questions.

The volunteer guides deliver public tours through galleries of the ROG, short talks in the Courtyard (e.g., Prime Meridian; Time Ball), and short talks about specific exhibits (e.g., the Harrison Sea Clocks; Great Equatorial Telescope).  Training, notes and reference materials are provided.

Volunteers have flexibility to develop their own scripts for the talks and tours, and decide their own programme for each day. Support is provided to develop talks and programmes. Daily programmes are flexible and depend on the weather, number of visitors, and other ROG events which might be scheduled. A typical daily programme for one guide might consist of:

-       1pm: Time Ball short talk (5-10 mins) accompanying the ball drop

-       1:30pm: Courtyard short talk (15-20 mins) about the Prime Meridian, or short talk (30 mins) in the Longitude Gallery about the Harrison Sea Clocks

-       2:30pm: Courtyard short talk about the founding of the ROG and the search for longitude, or a tour of the Flamsteed House galleries

Audience group sizes vary from 1 person up to groups of 40+ in the Courtyard.

What we’re looking for in you:

• Enjoy chatting and working with the public, and sharing knowledge
• Keen to learn and develop confidence with public speaking
• Enthusiastic and reliable
• An interest in the history of the ROG, and the history of science
• A willingness to develop personal knowledge of ROG history and related topics through reading and research

Time Commitment:

Ideally about one day per week (may include weekends).  Work schedules are developed taking into account volunteers’ availability and can accommodate short notice changes if volunteers’ plans change. Provisional work schedules are developed by the Team Leader about 1 month in advance, and a firm schedule is announced about two weeks in advance.

What’s in it for you?

• The pleasure of working at a fascinating site of historic significance and worldwide fame
• The enjoyment of working with the public, and sharing knowledge
• The chance to learn and develop confidence with public speaking
• The opportunity to develop your own knowledge of ROG history and related topics

Benefits:

You will have access to discounts in our shops and restaurants. Travel can be reimbursed up to a limit of £12 per return journey (conditions apply). Please note we are unable to provide parking facilities.

If you have any questions please feel free to contact the ROG Volunteer Guides Team Leader via the RMG Volunteer Office at volunteers@rmg.co.uk