Students make up a large portion of our volunteers, many of them interested in a career in archiving, heritage or research. It’s great to have young people helping out in the Archive to give a fresh, new perspective to the work we do. Kicking off our #VolunteersWeek profile showcase we have Laura, a third year History and Archaeology student at Reading University. Laura has volunteered at the Mills Archive for a year and a half, and has been pleasantly surprised at how varied the work that goes on in an archive can be…
![Poster Image](https://new.millsarchive.org/plus2/external/legacy_embedded_imgs/cache/images/images/uploads/Elizabeth_and_Laura_3_375_500.jpg)
“I didn’t realise how much there was to an archive. People may think it’s just rooms full of paper records, but the people-orientated side is very important too; like fundraising and running training workshops.”
The Mills Archive has reinforced Laura’s passion for history, helping to shape her plans for the future.
“I’m interested in pursuing a career in the heritage sector, after my Masters in Public History. I’ve found it difficult to get work experience in heritage jobs so I feel very lucky to have had this opportunity to volunteer at The Mills Archive.”
![](https://new.millsarchive.org/plus2/external/legacy_embedded_imgs/images/uploads/Laura_library_volunter_06-2018.jpg)
Laura believes that volunteering has played a vital role in preparing her for the workplace:
“Volunteering at the Mills Archive has given me the confidence to go into a job knowing about the working world. I’ve been able to learn about how organisations are run, and seen working examples of what roles I could go into, without the pressures of it being my real job.”
Could volunteering be the confidence boost you need to help propel you into a new career? We’d love you to get in touch if you’re interested in volunteering at the Mills Archive.