Volunteer Induction as Data & Documentation Assistant at Heeley City Farm 🐑

Today marks my first step into an office-based administration role through my new volunteering position at Heeley City Farm. This role is an exciting opportunity to begin developing practical admin experience — from data entry and copy typing to financial and organisational tasks — all of which link closely to the skills needed in archives and collections care. And as a lovely bonus, I’ll be working near animals — something that really supports my mental health!

I’m looking forward to learning more about the day-to-day responsibilities, meeting the team, and gaining a clearer sense of how this role will support my long-term path in the museum and heritage sector.

Although this role is outside the museum sector, the administrative skills I’m developing directly support my long-term goals in archives and collections care.

🧭 Training & Preparation

Before officially beginning on the 5th of December, I am completing a series of safeguarding courses via Atlas, including:

• Safeguarding Children

• Safeguarding Young Adults

• Safeguarding Adults

• Safeguarding Vulnerable Adults

This ensures I’m fully prepared to work within a community-focused environment.

🛠️ Digital Tools I’ll Be Working With

As part of this role, I’m being introduced to a range of administrative and financial tools used across museums and heritage organisations, including:

• PayPal Analytics

• Xero (financial management)

• CiviCRM (donor and contact database)

• eShuro/eSure (to be confirmed during training)

• Microsoft Excel

• Microsoft OneDrive (cloud-based documentation)

These mirror many of the systems used in museum operations, fundraising, and archiving workflows.

📋 Tasks I’ll Support Each Friday

My responsibilities will involve a mixture of documentation, finance support, and data organisation, such as:

• Spreadsheet checking and organising

• Separating settled vs unsettled payments

• Data entry

• Customer and donor tracking

• Fundraising documentation

• Café/general profit monitoring

• CRM updates (mailing lists, Friends of the Farm, donors, Gift Aid)

• Cash flow monitoring

• Profit and loss checks

• Expense tracking

• Basic budgeting and financial planning

🌟 Why This Role Matters for My Future

This opportunity gives me:

• Valuable office-based administration experience

• Hands-on financial and documentation skills

• A stronger grounding in data work, CRM systems, and budgeting

• Directly transferable experience for archives and collections roles

• A supportive, calm environment — with the added joy of being near animals 🐖

This volunteer role is a meaningful next step in strengthening the practical skills that underpin my long-term development in the museum and heritage sector.

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✨ Learn more about my work and aspirations here: My Portfolio