King Edward Mine Museum Recruiting Volunteers for 2026 Season

After welcoming a record number of visitors in 2025, King Edward Mine Museum is now looking for extra volunteers to help run the attraction during the 2026 summer season.

The museum, based in Troon near Camborne, is seeking support in both its shop and reception as it prepares for another busy year.

Shop Manager Role Opens Up

The charity is offering what it describes as a rewarding volunteering opportunity for someone with retail experience and a passion for supporting Cornish craft businesses and local producers. The role involves sourcing items for sale in the museum’s shop, from local glassware and greetings cards to bird boxes, books and jewellery.

KEM Trustee Carol Richards said:

“Our shop/reception provides a welcoming portal for our visitors and generates vital income to ensure that KEM continues to thrive and inspire the next generation of engineers, geologists and geoscientists, as well as people from all over the world who are fascinated by Cornwall’s proud mining history.

Our wonderful, long-standing Shop Manager is retiring after many years’ loyal service and we are seeking her successor – could that be you?”

📷King Edward Mine Museum Volunteers in the Shop - Credit: King Edward Mine Museum

Reception Volunteers Needed

The museum is also looking for more volunteers to help in reception. Duties include greeting visitors, taking payments and arranging group tours. Volunteers are only required to commit to one day a week between April and October.

Carol added:

“We meet such interesting people here and are often surprised by how far people have travelled to learn about Cornish mining heritage.”

A Unique Cornish Heritage Site

Located in Troon, near Camborne, King Edward Mine Museum is described as Cornwall’s best preserved mine site. Its restored buildings serve as a community space within the Cornish Mining World Heritage area.

The charity aims to celebrate Cornwall’s mining history by collecting, stewarding and interpreting historical and engineering heritage to increase knowledge and spark curiosity among people of all ages and backgrounds.

KEM receives no local authority or government funding and derives its income from opening to the public. Its nine voluntary Trustees are responsible for maintaining 22 acres of mining landscape, a large number of working mining machines and six Grade II* listed buildings.

Carol said:

“We therefore depend on the generosity and enthusiasm of our incredible band of volunteers to ensure the survival of this important heritage asset, which, through our education programme, stimulates interest in young people to consider science, technology, engineering and maths qualifications and careers.

Whether you are interested in mining history and would like to be a museum guide, would enjoy welcoming visitors in reception, or would like to contribute to our nature conservation programme, many hands make light work and keep those five star Trip Advisor and Google Place reviews coming! Just a few days a month of your time would make all the difference to us and you would be made most welcome by our friendly team.”

📷Mining models on sale in the King Edward Mine Museum Shop - Credit: King Edward Mine Museum

How to Apply

To find out more about the Shop Manager role and other volunteering opportunities, visit the museum’s volunteering page and complete the online form.

More information about the museum can be found on the King Edward Mine Museum website.

📷King Edward Mine Museum Shop - Credit: King Edward Mine Museum