Volunteer at Pollock’s Toy Museum

A group of four much-loved traditional teddy bears and their monkey friend gazing into the camera and hoping you will volunteer
Join us!

Pollock’s Toy Museum is a small friendly charity run by trustees and volunteers.

We are currently looking for flexible and enthusiastic helpers to support a range of museum activities and enable Pollock’s Toy Museum to reopen and flourish again. Volunteering opportunities are available now in both Central Croydon, CR9, and Leadenhall Market, EC3. We are also currently seeking an Honorary Treasurer Trustee.

Museum Welcome and Shop Volunteers (Croydon and Leadenhall)

  • Greet visitors and communicate with them about the toy collection, the history of the museum and the toy theatres 
  • Help with the museum shop, making or presenting items for sale as needed
  • Assisting in fun activities being run for visitors of all ages (in Croydon)
  • Keeping the public areas of the museum welcoming

Museum and shop volunteering is based on site in the two museum pop-ups. Training will be provided. We are open on Saturdays in Croydon, and on Thursday and Friday at Leadenhall Market.

Toy Theatre Performers (Croydon)

If you’re interested in performing traditional toy theatre shows to the public on Saturday afternoons at the Croydon pop-up please get in touch. No experience necessary, just an enthusiasm to learn about the toy theatre and to perform.

Museum Archive Volunteers

We would also be interested to hear from any potential volunteers who have one of the following:

  • An interest in oral history
  • An interest in cataloguing collections 
  • Expertise and an interest in writing for our blog, Tales from The Toybox
  • A specialist interest in the history of one of the following subjects
    • Toy trains, vehicles or boats
    • Puppets and performance
    • Toys, games and childhood history from countries or regions outside the UK
    • Optical and scientific toys
    • Toys with movements/simple mechanisms (we would especially welcome a craft/design/technology teacher)
    • Children’s books and literature

Archive volunteering takes place primarily in Croydon.

If you are interested in running workshops related to the museum collection for any audience in our Croydon workshop space please get in touch to discuss further. 

Apply to Volunteer

If you are interested, please email and tell us why you would like to volunteer and any relevant interests or experience you have or would like to gain. We particularly welcome Croydon residents to apply to volunteer at the Croydon Pop-up.

Pollock’s Toy Museum values having a diverse team as it enables us to create a welcoming museum for all and to tell stories from many perspectives.

Accessibility

The Croydon venue has level wheelchair access and is well lit. All volunteers and visitors will need to use the shopping centre toilets. The Leadenhall Market venue has a step to access the building and all volunteer workspaces and facilities can only be accessed via a steep, narrow spiral staircase.

Work Experience

We are not currently able to offer work experience placements. When the museum finds a permanent home we intend to resume programmes for internships, artists in residence and work experience. This will be advertised on the website when available.

Current Trustee Vacancies