Archaeology Scotland and Scottish Refugee Council co-design volunteer taster session

As part of our funding from Heritage Fund Scotland, Make Your Mark supports several member organisations each year with funding and co-design expertise to co-create a volunteer taster session with a marginalised or underrepresented group in their area. The first of these co-designed volunteer taster sessions was hosted by Archaeology Scotland and Scottish Refugee Council.

Volunteer taster sessions are informal ways for people to learn more about an organisation and/or volunteer role ahead of applying. They can help to alleviate any questions or concerns that people may have about volunteering.

The process

To co-design taster sessions, Make Your Mark uses the following process:

1. An online meeting with a co-design facilitator. This meeting with a co-design facilitator from Make Your Mark supported Archaeology Scotland to develop expertise and skills in partnering with groups to plan inclusive events.
2. An online meeting with a prospective partner organisation. Make Your Mark used its network of community groups to help the Archaeology Scotland connect with Scottish Refugee Council. The co-design facilitator from Make Your Mark chaired this meeting to set out the budget available, as well as the process and expectations for each organisation involved.
3. An in-person co-design workshop. Archaeology Scotland and participants recruited by the Scottish Refugee Council came together to discuss the content and structure of the taster session, specifically focussing on participants’ accessibility needs and what types of activities they’d be interested in.
4. An in-person volunteer taster session. The content and structure of the taster session was informed by the co-design meeting with the partner group.

The outcomes

In July 2024, 8 participants recruited by Scottish Refugee Council attended a co-design workshop with Archaeology Scotland. The participants were given an introduction to Archaeology Scotland, went on walking tours of two potential sites and handled some archaeological artefacts. They then contributed to shaping the plan for the follow-on taster session by choosing a location and specifying that they were keen on doing hands-on, skills-based activities with conversational elements to enable people to practice English language skills. They also highlighted the need for the taster session to be easily accessible by public transport and for travel expenses to be paid to enable them to participate.

A few weeks later, the group reconvened for a taster session at their chosen site at the Camphill Enclosure Site in Glasgow's Queen's Park. The group carried out a hands-on archaeological survey, with photography, measuring and 'reading the site'.

Feedback from the taster session was overwhelmingly positive. 62.5% of participants said the session helped them develop skills, increased their confidence and piqued their interest in heritage careers. 75% of participants said the session made them feel more connected to local places.

Participants also gave a range of positive comments, including:

• "It was very interesting to be in a historical place and to participate in archaeological research"
• "Just keep doing this! It's really good"
• "I loved working with the group and loved the people with me"
• "Loved meeting new people!"
• "The event was beneficial for my wellbeing and general knowledge about the history of the place I’m living in now"
• "I felt like I had touched something monumental, ancient and historically important"

The only suggestion for improvement was hosting more taster sessions and opportunities to get involved with archaeology.