Join our fantastic team of volunteers, and help keep our heritage afloat!

As custodians of an historic fleet of military power boats, buildings and spaces in and around Portsmouth Harbour, we are dedicated to keeping our heritage alive, ensuring it is available and accessible for future generations. This requires a combined team effort from staff and volunteers throughout the year.

Get hands on with history by becoming a volunteer with us, from maintaining the Porter’s Garden, restoring our wooden boats, to welcoming visitors and guiding them through the story of Boathouse 4 and the vessels that call it home.

Benefits of volunteering

  • Volunteering in a unique historic environment
  • Meeting new people
  • Growing and improving your skill set
  • Facebook community for volunteers
  • Flexible volunteering days
  • Volunteer mess with tea and coffee provided
  • Volunteer events, including summer BBQ and Christmas party
  • Opportunities to go out on operational boat trips

Our Volunteer Roles

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Boat Restoration

If you have or would love to learn woodworking skills, join our team of volunteers restoring and maintaining our collection of historic naval boats. There are also opportunities in the warmer weather to get involved with the operational boats out on the pontoon.

Rope

Tour Guide

Boathouse 4 welcomes visitors through its doors all year round, which requires a strong team of volunteers to greet visitors and guide them through the 100 plus years of history within the boathouse. Get involved talking to the public, giving them behind the scenes tours or get trained up, to demonstrate how to make rope on our rope maker.

Susan on pontoon

Pontoon Open Weekend Guide

If weekly volunteering isn’t for you, every month we hold Pontoon Open Weekends which require volunteer help. Once a month we open the boats out on the pontoon to the public, with volunteers welcoming visitors and showing them around the vessels whilst telling their individual stories.

Porter's Garden 3

Porter’s Garden

If you enjoy being outside and getting stuck in with gardening, why not join our team of Porter’s Garden volunteers.

This small team meets on a Wednesday and tends to the Porter’s Garden, an abundance of wildlife and plants which occupies the site of the original garden of the Porter’s Lodge (1708).

Join us!

Email our Volunteer Coordinator teresa.clark@portsmouthhq.org or call 02392 893 325 for more information or to register your interest.