Volunteer with Dorset Family History Society
Dorset FHS is run solely by volunteers and we rely on them to be able to continue to run the Society and offer a service to our members/members of the public. We are structured by way of a committee, plus officers and other volunteers.
Would you like to volunteer? We are keen to attract new volunteers to:
- bring in new skills and viewpoints,
- take on tasks which our current volunteer team cannot resource,
- to shadow existing officers to be able to provide them with additional support/resource or holiday cover – or to succession plan to secure the future of the Society.
Whether you can offer a few hours now and then, or on a more regular basis we can make use of your knowledge and skills! In return you will meet new people, use your skills, and maybe learn some new ones.
Some ‘roles’ deal directly with the public – those who are researching their family history. For those roles you will require a good level of knowledge of genealogy and family history research techniques. But if you are an experienced family historian you will have these skills. We ask that anyone who comes into direct contact with our members and service users are a member of DFHS. Committee representatives are also required to be members.
We also have a number of ‘behind the scenes’ roles which help with the smooth running of the Society – to do those roles you are not required to be a DFHS member, or even a family historian.
Some volunteers work from our research centre, Treetops, but some opportunities can be based at home.
Occasionally we have specific ‘vacancies’ – so keep visiting this page for a current list.
Come join us – you would be welcomed!
Current Vacancies
Secretary Team: Executive Secretary, Facilities Management, Volunteer Recruitment,
We are looking to split the Secretary role as it has quite a few different areas of responsibility. Currently one person has the following responsibilities – but we are looking potentially creating a team who would be able to be responsible for the following:
The Executive Secretary will maintain an overall view of Society business, ensure we operate within legal and charity commission regulations, administer Society business and liaise with officers or external parties as appropriate. The Executive Secretary will be part of the Executive Committee and named as secretary with the Charity Commission. They will co-ordinate with other Society officers (including below). For this role we would like someone well organised, with good business, IT and communication skills. Most of this work can be done remotely – though you will need to be able to attend meetings/committee meetings etc held at Treetops. The Executive Secretary will need to be a member of DFHS.
Perhaps you have some skills in Health and Safety and/or Facilities Management? We have a resource centre in Poole and would welcome a volunteer willing to take on the tasks of ensuring we operate safely, ensuring fire drills are completed on time, risk assessments etc are kept up to date. And could liaise with the landlord when minor works are required. This role would require someone to be close to the Poole area to come to Treetops as and when required. You do not need to be a member of DFHS for this role.
Or perhaps you are interested in volunteer recruitment. We operate solely with volunteers and they are critical to day to day operation and future success. We have a great team of volunteers – but would love to have more. Either to help out generally, or to assist/shadow existing volunteers in their role, so we have cover for holidays or times when they may be absent or for succession planning. You would be required to get to know DFHS well & how we work to understand our needs. You may need to attend local volunteer recruitment events. You would also take on ‘advertising’ the role using the relevant sources, and meeting potential volunteers to find out where their skills, interests and availability match our vacancies/needs. Some experience of recruitment would be useful though the key skill is being able to talk to potential volunteers to find out more about them and explain how we work. Some of this work could be done remotely – though being within a reasonable travel distance would be advantageous to attend local events or meet potential volunteers at our research centre. You do not need to be a member of DFHS for this role – but have an interest in family history and some understanding of the services family history societies’ offer.
Committee Members
Our committee is made up from our membership. Committee meet every 2 months to discuss the management of and future strategy for the Society, agree activities and future plans. Committee members are appointed at our AGM each November. To be a committee member you need to be a DFHS member, have interest/experience in family history research and be able to attend bi-monthly meetings. If you would like to be involved in the management and direction of the Society talk to us about how you can seek nomination.
Contact Us for a general chat (select Secretary from the drop down list of options) or to request the role description for any of the vacancies listed above. Alternatively phone our research Treetops during office hours (Mon, Wed, Sat 10.00 – 15.00), or just call into our research centre. We could also arrange for you to meet one or two of our volunteers to find out what they do, chat to you about your skills and interests and any current projects which need resourcing.
Social Media Officer (X)
Are we making the best of social media to raise awareness of the Society? Probably not, so we are looking for someone familiar with and a user of ‘X’ (formerly Twitter) to take on responsibility for the society’s ‘X’ feed and keep it up to date with DFHS event details and other news from the Society and other relevant organisations. You would also have the opportunity to advise and make recommendations to the Society how to improve our social media presence. A role that could be undertaken remotely, with maybe an occasional meeting with officers at our admin base. You would also liaise with our Facebook volunteer to ensure there are cohesive messages across all platforms. You do not need to be a member of DFHS for this role – but would have an interest and some knowledge of family history.