Clare Lehovsky – Handling Collection volunteer

What I do
I work with the RAF Museum’s handling collection, items from our collection that we allow visitors to touch and try on for themselves. Typically, I volunteer from around 9.30 -3.30. I unpack and prepare the objects before school groups arrive. The Access and Learning Team sessions help young visitors to learn about the RAF and I sometimes help by handing out the objects during the session, and collecting them back in. I also undertook the project of re-cataloguing the objects in the handling collection. It took about six months! I re-labelled boxes and wrote an inventory, so that staff knew what objects we had and where to find them.

What I love
I enjoy taking donations as it gives me a chance to meet with and talk to people who are always incredibly pleasant and nice.

What I get
The whole role is different from what you normally get in other Museums. In the past I worked more with kids, not very much behind the scenes. Whereas in this role I get much more of an insight in what working back of house at a Museum is actually like.