Volunteers in the Heritage Sector: a neglected audience?

Museums and heritage attractions worldwide are dependent on their volunteers, and this is particularly the case within the UK. However, the demographics of volunteers are changing and volunteers are more likely to be retired individuals than seeking work experience. Traditionally, volunteer management in the UK has adopted a top-down approach. This paper, based on a sample of 222 volunteers within museums and heritage visitor attractions in the UK, argues that a significant proportion of volunteers are leisure seeking. Volunteers at ten museums and heritage attractions were questioned about their motivation, and predominantly leisure-like motives were cited, including subject interest and social interaction. Indeed, volunteer's motives bear a strong similarity to those of visitors. Thus, older, leisure-seeking volunteers would be more appropriately considered as an additional element of the museum's audience. A model showing the relationship between visiting, volunteering and paid staff is presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]