In their own words:

“I began volunteering for the BIS in 2016, after being a member since the mid 1980’s! My main skills are of a clerical nature and after being gently eased into the office routine, firstly with envelope stuffing, my tasks were soon expanded into stock control and stocktaking. 

I am an enthusiast, with very minimum technical knowledge, but it has been surprising how I have been sucked into parts of the running of the Society, that I did not consider when I first started.
I now enjoy being the admin of the BIS Forum and I help out with the Society’s gem of a Library, through the Library and Archives Committee and I will shortly be overseeing the distribution and control of books, which have been donated to the society for review in our magazines and on the website.

               Being no way considered an extrovert (indeed, I am very much an introvert!) when I started, I was supported to out volunteering qualities that, even I was not aware of (even in my 70th year!). Volunteering for BIS might surprise you too! – There are so many different roles and specialities, and the BIS will work with you to help find your strengths or help you reach new potential.
Also, by showing commitment to the BIS as a volunteer, has meant that I was able to apply to be a BIS Fellow, and 3 yers later I am now a BIS Council Member! If that is a option that appeals, I recommend it and you don’t need to be a space sector professional or have space expertise to support BIS.”

“I have been a pro-active volunteer for the BIS since 2010 when I joined the Marketing Committee as a specialist ‘creative communications’ design and marketing consultant. By 2013 I was managing the National Coordination World Space Week for the whole of the UK; from 2016-2019 I supported BIS by managing their presence at New Scientist Live; I have been a BIS Council Member and Educational & Outreach Committee Chair; the BIS Lead for the International Astronautical Congress (IAC) Student Paper Competition; and since 2022 I have been an executive volunteer supporting the CEO and supporting and overseeing high-level activities: managing the BIS website, social media and other operational support.
Most of my volunteering has been done remotely, or through attending or managing events.

The BIS, in return, has supported me during some very difficult periods in my life, and through my BIS volunteering I have been able to network at a very high-level in the space sector (and at events that I would not have otherwise been able to attend, as I am not a traditional space-employee), I have added new skills (and updated old ones) to my skillset and, as a result, I have built a successful business of my own using many of the skills that I have honed through my volunteering. The BIS is a community of amazing, supportive and intelligent people* and I feel very lucky to be part of this all-inclusive space family!”

* Some are wonderfully bonkers – just like me! – and I have a network of life-long friends! 

I only recently joined the BIS, around two years back. After meeting the CEO at a convention for space enthusiasts in Cambridge, who explained what the BIS was, I knew it was the place for me. If you’re passionate about spaceflight and futurism it really is the perfect group to be a part of.  For my whole life I’d found it difficult to meet people with my interests only to discover that the BIS had been their central hub for almost a hundred years.

As a volunteer for the BIS I’ve discovered that my interests are shared by a huge range of people and it has been amazing to have the opportunity to discuss ideas for the future with them. There’s opportunity also to work on our many exciting projects from behind the scenes, and it’s not just volunteering in person, but also through social media, video editing and more besides and it’s been amazing to be able to take part in the production of material for an ambitious new projects.

The BIS is thus, for me, in that perfect place between being big enough to be of cutting edge relevance in its field, on the one hand, whilst still having a personal and friendly atmosphere that lets an enthusiastic volunteer really make a difference! You can just sit and have a chat with anyone, even people from the board of directors, it is truly inclusive!

As technical projects lead for their student and young professionals outreach arm – The NextGen Network – I’m also currently running several projects with the BIS, including the design of new propulsion approaches that might (in their small set of applicability) progress into usable designs for future missions, as much of past BIS work has. We’re a society of dreamers but our rich history demonstrates how often those dreams end-up becoming reality.

While I approach things from a technical background I’ve just as frequently found artists, architects, politicians, astronomers to name a few taking part and there really is a role for everyone. If you’re enthusiastic and want to have a go, I’d encourage you to reach out to us, you’ll never know what’s possible until you try!”

I have been a BIS Member/Fellow for some 45 years now, but only started taking a more active part in the Society since 2010. From that time on, I have enjoyed so many occasions volunteering for the BIS, be it at our UK HQ in Vauxhall, London, or at public outreach events up and down the country, and even abroad, mainly with BIS Italia.

These activities have afforded me so very many opportunities to meet an engage with many people, both within the space sector and the public in general. I have had so much fun participating in all these events with fellow Members, and have grown many significant friendships within the Society, learning a great deal in the process, managing to hone skills which I already had, but also discover new abilities.

At HQ, I’m able to help greet members and guests to our lectures and symposia, but also as part of our History/Archives Committees in noting the many ’treasures’ which we have in our library which is arguably the largest, finest collection of space documents, media and artworks anywhere in the UK – possibly in the world!

Although the BIS might be described as a ‘technical’ Society, there are plenty of opportunities for non-technical persons (such as myself) to make a very real contribution: I am an artist and might be termed an ‘enthusiast’, having never worked as a professional within the space industry. However, I have discovered roles in which I can offer what I may. For instance, thanks to BIS Italia, I have had opportunities to exhibit my Moon- and Mars-themed artworks at both the European Space Agency and the Italian Space Agency as part of their public Outreach events, with my desire to help the public understand something of the enormous range of ‘non-engineering’ career opportunities within the sector.

I would sincerely encourage as many BIS Members as possible to volunteer their time and skills for the Society: everyone has something to contribute and it is a very valuable way in which individuals can support the Society and its aims.