Established in 1739 by campaigner Thomas Coram, the Foundling Hospital was England’s first children’s charity and London’s first home for children whose mothers were unable to care for them, also known as ‘Foundlings’. Over the next two centuries, more than 25,000 children grew up at the Hospital.
We are looking for volunteers aged 18-24 to delve into Coram’s Foundling Hospital Archive, and research the lives of individual ‘foundling’ children in the 18th and 19th centuries.
Visit our website here for the full role description and application form:
https://coramstory.org.uk/get-involved/volunteer-with-us/stories-of-inte...
By volunteering with us, you’ll have the chance to do brand new research with primary-source documents, by uncovering the stories of children and young people at the Foundling Hospital.
Alongside this, you’ll have the chance to get creative with the stories you find and share them online. You’ll have the chance to connect with other volunteers interested in similar topics like social history. And you’ll contribute to this important social history and the history of the care system in the UK too.
You’ll learn from our archivist about using and understanding historical records, getting an insight into the world of archives. You’ll be guided by our team in research skills and the history of The Foundling Hospital, and have the opportunity to discuss career paths within archives and history too. You’ll gain experience of writing, with the chance to have your work published online.
- A passion for history and an interest in learning about the history of the Foundling Hospital
- An interest in social history / archives / heritage / social care or other similar fields
- A respect for historic records and a willingness to learn how to use them
- Excellent writing skills
- Strong communication and interpersonal skills; an ability to work well in a team
- Good organisational and administrative skills; an ability to meet deadlines and maintain a record of your work
Applicants must be aged 18-24 and living in London.
Similar Opportunities
Do you want to do something different this term and help make education fairer? CoachBright is a social mobility charity, and we're looking for volunteers to join our weekly academic coaching programmes! *Sign up with a friend to win a prize!*
Free to Be run adventurous, nature based residentials to give vulnerable young people a space to have fun and to feel invited and accepted.
Passionate about sustainable fashion? We are looking for volunteers to support our e-commerce team.
