Volunteering Opportunities

Of course, pinning youself to the map is a mini-voluntary activity, so thanks for your time if you've done that already.

Science and science-related volunteering opportunities.

This is a long list culled from information available online, but it's by no means comprehensive. If you are running a volunteer opportunity for science people and would like it to appear on this list please write to us with the title, link, contact details,  and a short paragraph about your organisation or opportunity, thank you. If you'd like us to edit your description or add your logo below please also get in touch.

hiddensciencemap@sciencecouncil.org

Future Morph Hidden Science app

http://www.futuremorph.org/hiddenscience.cfm
020 79222 7881
h.margerison@sciencecouncil.org

The Hidden Science app is an initiative from Future Morph, the Science Council's careers website, to provide young people with information about careers in science and maths. It’s their goal to show that studying these subjects isn't a one-track road to life in a lab. The app gives people the chance to have their burning science questions answered directly by scientists. The app is found within the Orange 'Do Some Good' app. The 'Do Some Good' app is free to download onto your I-phone or Blackberry and tasks are designed not to take longer than 5 minutes. All questions and answers will be posted on the Future Morph website where they will be accompanied by supporting materials for each topic.

Submitted questions will go towards developing relevant teaching resources so that teachers can contextualise their teaching and therefore effectively raise careers awareness with the potential for year on year impact. The app aims to show that science and engineering have a huge impact on our lives and really are all around us. 

Institute of Physics - Lab in a Lorry

http://www.labinalorry.org.uk
(Each region has different contact details.)
Do you want to inspire the next generation of scientists? Lab in a Lorry is an interactive mobile laboratory which gives young people (11-14 year olds) the opportunity to explore science through open-ended experiments.  Volunteers guide the students through the experiments (oil and viscous liquids, sound and resonance, light scattering and colours, climate change and energy sources, optoelectronics) and make sure everyone gets to be involved through hands on experience. Check out our website for more details and to register as a volunteer.
 

Institute for Chemical Engineering

www.whynotchemeng.com/uk-and-ireland/volunteers
enquiries@icheme.org.uk
01788 578214
This whynotchemeng campaign was initiated in response to a decline in intake to Chemical Engineering undergraduate degree courses in the 1990s. Volunteers are linked to target schools where they are expected to attend their careers events. IChemE can supply volunteers with presentation, display and literature resources promoting the whynotchemeng website.

STEM Ambassadors Programme

www.stemnet.org.uk/content/ambassadors
0203 206 0450
The STEM Ambassadors Programme recruits volunteers from STEM backgrounds to act as inspiring role models for young people. They can contribute both to regular school lessons or participate in extra-curricular activities such as STEM Clubs, Careers Days and visits.

Researchers in Residence

www.researchersinresidence.ac.uk/cms/
0845 365 7470

Researchers in Residence (RinR) organises secondary school and college placements for researchers. RinR act as role models that can introduce new concepts, run projects and offer careers advice. RinR is open to all PhD and post doctoral researchers funded directly or indirectly by one of the seven UK Research Councils or the Wellcome Trust. 
 

Number Partners

www.numberpartners.org/
info@numberpartners.org
020 7655 0300

The Number Partner programme aims to improve the numeracy and financial literacy skills of young people. The programme recruits volunteers from the business world to visit primary or secondary schools to play number games with students, making maths fun and boosting students' confidence.

Institution of Civil Engineers Ambassadors

www.ice.org.uk/Education/Getting-Involved/ICE-Ambassadors
(each region has different contact details)

The Ambassador programme is coordinated by ICE regional teams and as part of the National Science & Engineering Ambassadors (SEAs) scheme run by the Science, Technology, Engineering & Mathematics Network (STEMNET). Being an Ambassador involves attending careers fairs, giving presentations on civil engineering careers and running engineering activities with groups of school students.

Thinktank Planetarium

http://www.thinktank.ac/volunteers 
planetarium@thinktank.ac

Exciting volunteering opportunities exist in one of the top 10 busiest small planetariums in the world and the UK’s most progressive digital dome. Benefits include transport costs, staff discounts, volunteer certificates, IMAX tickets, annual volunteer dinner and fascinating museum work environment.

Construction Ambassadors

www.cskills.org/supportbusiness/trainingandassessment/constructionambassadors/index.aspx
Nicola.ward@cskills.org
0300 4565121

They are looking for industry professionals to act as Ambassadors to inspire young people to see the potential in a career in construction. After receiving training, ambassadors can be involved in attending career events, arranging site visits, delivering workshops and career presentations and answering questions. Being a construction ambassador also provides the opportunity to be involved with the development and delivery of qualifications.

Institute of Mathematic Applications School Speaker Scheme

www.ima.org.uk/Education/school_speaker_scheme.html
alison.penry@ima.org.uk
01702 356112
This scheme aims to promote the applications of Mathematics. Members of the Institute from Academia to Industry can volunteers to visit schools to talk to students about their work and how mathematics plays an important role.

British Science Association Volunteering

www.britishscienceassociation.org/web/AboutUs/Volunteering/
0870 770 7101        

The Association has a range of volunteering opportunities available with the British Science Association including volunteering in as a section committee member for the British Science Festival, as a festival assistant at the British Science Festival, being involved in science communication within one of the regional branches, as a trustee with the British Science Council and within the Young People’s Programme.

EDT Go4Set Programme

http://www.go4set.org.uk/
(each region has different contact details)

Go4SET links teams of six Year 8/9(England) and S2 (Scotland) pupils with companies and universities to offer a 10 week science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) experience/project.

The Natural History Museum

www.nhm.ac.uk/take-part/volunteer/volunteering/index.html
020 7942 500

The NHM has a range of opportunities to volunteers from teaching and interacting with visitors (Learning Volunteer Programme), through to the meticulous maintenance and cataloguing of the collections (Science Department Volunteers), helping maintain the wildlife Garden or helping behind the scenes in an administrative function.

The Science Museum

www.sciencemuseum.org.uk/about_us/support_us/volunteering.aspx
020 7942 4378
Volunteers at the Science Museum can work in public facing roles engaging visitors with science and technology, be involved in improving accessibility of rare collections and projects or be a part of the learning team interacting with young visitors about science.

Intech Science Centre & Planetarium

www.intech-uk.com/folders/visitor_info/frequently_asked_questions.cfm#Volunteer
htct@intech-uk.com
01962 863791

The Intech Centre in Hampshire has a variety of volunteer opportunities available, especially during school holidays.

The Observatory Science Centre

www.the-observatory.org/volunteers
s.voss@the-observatory.org
01323 832731

Volunteers can also become involved working with children during school holidays by helping with drop-in activities and  workshops which cover a vast range of fascinating topics and are above all great fun at this centre in East Sussex.  For those with an interest in astronomy there is the opportunity to help out with evening activities, astronomy festival and telescope tours (all necessary training will be given). Working parties of volunteers are also needed to help with the general maintenance of the centre.

Glasgow Science Centre

www.gsc.org.uk/volunteering.aspx
volunteers@glasgowsciencecentre.org
The Glasgow Science Centre has a volunteer scheme to support and enhance the experience of visitors to the centre.  The scheme involves training and development and networking opportunities.

Royal Botanic Gardens Kew

www.kew.org/support-kew/how-you-can-help/volunteer-at-kew/herbarium/index.htm

Kew's Herbarium offers a series of opportunities for volunteers with either its regional teams, that work in specific geographical areas, or its basic research teams, whose work is centred on systematic botany. The volunteering opportunities available in involve handling delicate specimens, data basing, geo-referencing, scanning, indexing, labelling, managing loan returns, cataloguing, literature research, curation, and information compilation.

Kenna Eco Diving, L’Escala, Girona, Spain

www.marine-life-costa-brava.org

eco@kennaecodiving.net

Kenna Eco Diving is the only Silmar Project coordinators offering subsidised residential placements for international volunteer divers to assist with this marine conservation research. Volunteering presents an ideal opportunity for Biology/Ocean Sciences students and divers who wish to contribute to marine conservation to work with marine biologists and gain valuable underwater fieldwork experience. In order to participate in underwater surveys as a volunteer diver, participants need to be a qualified diver of any level with a recognised organisation.