Volunteer with us!
Volunteer at a world-renowned heritage site and make a real difference! Join a likeminded community of passionate volunteers and get unique experiences in archaeology, demonstrations, events, and more.
volunteers team
Follow your interests! From engaging with our visitors to building a roundhouse, tell us what you want to get involved with and we’ll make it happen.
How you want, when you want! Come by as often or as little as you like, with volunteering ranging from weekly commitments to one-off opportunities.
Join the community! All volunteers are invited to our monthly Crafternoons — halfway between a chatty social and an informal crafts workshop to learn something new.
Make a real difference! So much of what we do at Butser simply wouldn’t be possible without our incredible volunteers.
If you’re interested in joining the team, we’d love to have you! Please email volunteers@butserancientfarm.co.uk for a chat about what you’re interested in doing at Butser.
Regular opportunities
Tell our story – share your passion!
Join us during our public open days and help educate and inspire our visitors! Whether you want to chat to visitors, demonstrate a skill, or help run hands-on activities, this is one of our most rewarding opportunities.
Events – something different every day!
Get involved with our incredible events programme! With a range of roles and no regular commitment, these are really flexible opportunities — plus you’ll get a chance to experience whatever event is happening, too!
Wednesday Workouts – get hands on and help out!
Help out our site team and come work on the farm! You’ll really get stuck in to the nitty gritty of farm life, from animal care to site maintenance, and become an invaluable member of the Butser site team.
Special projects – learn new skills!
Get involved with our experiments! These one-off projects are our most exciting once-in-a-lifetime opportunities. Currently: our Crop Crew is working on sowing our field with ancient crops!
Our volunteers team is an incredible group of people, with people of all ages, skills, and backgrounds. We hold regular social and crafts events for volunteers to say thank you for their hard work!
If you’re interested in joining the team, please email volunteers@butserancientfarm.co.uk.
Log in for existing volunteers only. If you would like to become a volunteer, please email volunteers@butserancientfarm.co.uk.
student placements
Come and get real experience with us! We frequently welcome students and young people for volunteering opportunities at the farm — whether you’re looking for a university placement, Duke of Edinburgh award volunteering, or work experience, we’d love to have you!
You’ll get real experience working on a farm and an active archaeology research site, and, depending on your needs, work with our site team, education team, and/or archaeologist to really make the most of your time with us.
Please contact us for a chat if this is something you’re interested in.
Corporate team days
We offer team volunteering opportunities to give your colleagues time out of the office whilst making a difference. A Team Day at Butser Ancient Farm can provide the restorative and mindful benefits of spending time in the countryside. Opportunities can vary from learning traditional building skills to sharing your love of gardening in our Roman and Saxon gardens. Our unique heritage site will also give your team the time to enjoy the beauty and tranquillity of our Farm’s rural location in the South Downs.
Reenactment groups
Are you interested in bringing history to life? We work with many wonderful historical reenactment groups at regular events and weekends to help demonstrate life in the past. All these groups are very friendly and would love to hear from you if you’re interested in getting involved!
Butser IX Legion (Roman reenactment, headquartered here at Butser)
Herigeas Hundas (Anglo-Saxon reenactment)
The Dark Ages Society (Anglo-Saxon & Viking reenactment)
Thegnes of Mercia (Anglo-Saxon reenactment)
Swords of Penda (Anglo-Saxon reenactment)
Wuffa (Viking reenactment)
The Vicus (Iron Age Celtic & Roman reenactment)
Conquest Living History (Norman & high Medieval reenactment)
