Category: volunteers

Stroudwater Textile Trust is Looking for Guides, Demonstrators, and Welcomers

mikenevell

The Stroudwater Textile Trust are looking for volunteers at their two museums near Stroud. There are many ways of getting involved in volunteering with the Stroudwater Textile Trust. From welcoming visitors to their mills to sparing a few hours to work at home or to help restore historic machine, your support is really important to the Trust, and you will find volunteering both enjoyable and rewarding.

The Trust offers training in using both hand looms and power looms, as well as wider training. The museums are open from April to September on weekends and occasional weekdays. Information about the Trust is on our website, or e-mail chair@stroudtextiletrust.org.uk.

To get involved follow this link: https://www.stroudtextiletrust.org.uk/volunteering/

The Stroudwater Textile Trust is a Registered Charity run entirely by volunteers. The Trust was established in 1999 by local people wanting to promote awareness of the historic woollen industry in the Stroud valleys, to preserve some of its important machinery and to celebrate contemporary textiles. The Trust runs a fully-accredited museum at Dunkirk Mill in Nailsworth with a working waterwheel, and also a weaving shed at Gigg Mill nearby, which has a recently-restored vintage power loom. We also arrange visits to St Mary’s Mill in Chalford from time to time, where there is a Tangye steam engine. Dunkirk Mill and Gigg Mill are open regularly through the spring and summer months.

Volunteers at Stroudwater Textile Trust. Image courtesy of Stroudwater Textile Trust.

Volunteering Opportunties at Northampton Transport Heritage

Volunteering Opportunties at Northampton Transport Heritage

mikenevell

Northampton Transport Heritage is looking for volunteers to help keep their historic buses on the road, with increasing demand for its heritage vehicles at a variety of events running from April to November. However, they are constrained by a lack of volunteers – whether that’s helping to maintain the vehicles or assisting during events.

If you’re interested in old buses and want to help keep them on the road, or if you’d enjoy supporting Northampton Transport Heritage at the half dozen or so events they attend around Northamptonshire, please follow this link below:

https://ntheritage.org/

Historic buses at Northamptonshire Transport Heritage. Image courtesy of Northamptoshire Transport Heritage.

Adapting to Net Zero on Industrial Heritage Sites Online Seminar, May 2025

Adapting to Net Zero on Industrial Heritage Sites Online Seminar, May 2025

mikenevell

The Industrial Heritage Support project is running a free online seminar on 22 May 2025 focussing on climate change and Net Zero. The seminar is designed to give an overview of Net Zero adaptation strategies on industrial heritage sites in England. This is a follow-up seminar from an event on climate change and industrial heritage sites run in 2023.

The seminar will include a short presentation from Historic England covering their latest research and advice on reaching Net Zero in the Heritage sector. This will be followed by three industrial heritage site case studies from Cromford Mills, the National Mining Museum in Wakefield, and the Ironbridge Gorge Museum Trust discussing practical and future steps as these sites to achieve Net Zero. The seminar will finish with a discussion and questions.

The seminar is free and will run from 10:30am to 12 noon. To book via Eventbrite click here

Opportunity to Get Involved with the Merseyside Industrial Heritage Society

Opportunity to Get Involved with the Merseyside Industrial Heritage Society

mikenevell

The Merseyside Industrial Heritage Society (MIHS) is looking for new faces to help with its committee. 2024 marks its 60th year, making it one of the oldest such societies in Britain. Established as the North Western Society for Industrial Heritage Society, it changed its name to the MIHS in 1977 as part of an earlier renewal of the society.

Like all such groups the committee needs refreshing from time-to-time. MIHS now needs new faces to help it organise its winter programme of lecture meetings, some on line, as well as the running a number of field visits in the spring and summer months including the annual “Long Weekend” in May.​ This is an excellent volunteering opportunity for a new generation to help develop the society as an important part of the Liverpool city region’s heritage landscape. For details on how to get involved email the Chairman, Peter Purland, at: petepurland@btinternet.com.

The Merseyside Industrial Heritage Society has been instrumental in recording and raising awareness about the Liverpool city region’s industrial heritage. A key part of this has been the Society’s guide to the industrial heritage sites of Merseyside. This was first published in 1974, in its earlier guise as NWSIAH. This has gone through several editions over the years, in 1984, 2007, and 2011. In 2020 the guide was comprehensively revised with support from the Association for Industrial Archaeology. The new guide is much more than a listing of locations. It contains comprehensive overviews of the industrial development of both the region and of the individual Merseyside boroughs. Further features are panels on “Notable Dock Engineers” and a guided walk past places associated with “Railway Pioneers”. These guides also provide a record of the way in which Merseyside’s heritage, its preservation and presentation, has evolved since 1964.

To learn more about the Merseyside Industrial Heritage Society visit their website here: http://www.mihs.org.uk/

Albert Docks, Liverpool. Copyright Dr Michael Nevell.
Museum Development Support in England Reorganised for 2024

Museum Development Support in England Reorganised for 2024

mikenevell

April marks the re-organisation of the Museum Development (MD) support scheme in England. Arts Council England will support the new MD regional partnerships from 1 April 2024 until 31 March 2027. These new partnerships build on the English regional teams’ experience of collaborative working since 2018, with the programme for the next three years continuing to support museums, and the people who work for, and volunteer in them.

The new English regional partnerships are:

  • MD North
  • MD Midlands
  • MD South West
  • MD South East
  • MD London

There are new websites and new newsletters to sign up for, so be sure to explore the the refreshed structures. Follow this link to the new regional partnerships: https://www.artscouncil.org.uk/supporting-arts-museums-and-libraries/supporting-museums/museum-development-programme/museum-development-2024-26/museum-development-2024-27-partners

For an overview of the changes in England follow this link: https://www.artscouncil.org.uk/supporting-arts-museums-and-libraries/supporting-museums/museum-development-programme/museum-development-2024-26

AIM Free Training for Trustees of Volunteer Run-Museums, 2024

AIM Free Training for Trustees of Volunteer Run-Museums, 2024

mikenevell

AIM’s latest Spark! programme is aimed at supporting trustees of volunteer-run museums to strengthen shared problem solving and build networks of support. If your trustees and Board want to improve their governance and operational activities, then this is the programme for you. Specifically, it aims to strengthen shared problem solving, building networks of support, and working together, through a series of online workshops, action learning sets and individual coaching sessions.

Participants will work through a series of online workshops, action learning sets and individual coaching sessions. This programme is designed for Trustees of volunteer-run museums, though those from museums with a small number of paid staff will also be considered. It is being developed for trustees who have spent some time in role, as opposed to new Trustees who should consider the AIM Trustee Induction workshop.

For more information on this new programme or to make an application, contact Margaret Harrison, AIM Head of Programmes on margaret@aim-museums.co.uk with the following information:

  1. Your name, role, and organisation
  2. The number of Trustees on your Board
  3. What you hope to get out of the programme with regard to your own and the Board’s governance effectiveness
  4. Describe your Board’s working relationship with your Director
  5. Outline your organisation’s key governance challenge over the last twelve months

Deadline for applications: Monday 8 January 2024.

Call for Volunteers on the Oral History of London’s Holiday Camps Project,

Call for Volunteers on the Oral History of London’s Holiday Camps Project,

mikenevell

Digital Works is running a project collecting oral histories relating to London’s holiday camps. The ‘Hello Campers!’ project, funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund, is looking for project volunteers and for people to be interviewed regarding their reminiscences on this subject.

Oral history specialists Digital Works are working at The British Film Institute to explore the history of Londoner’s experiences at places such as Butlins and Pontins from the 1950s until now. No previous experience is required for volunteering, as full support and training will be on offer. Digital Works have previously work on a very successful project collecting oral history of Wimbledon Football Club and the origins of AFC Wimbledon, culminating in the release of an associated film. All training is free and will be at the BFI Southbank. You will need to be available on the week beginning May 22nd 2023.

To find out more visit their website http://www.hellocampers.org.uk or email Sav Kyriacou at: sav@digital-works.co.uk

NT Volunteer Opportunity at Dunham Massey Mill

NT Volunteer Opportunity at Dunham Massey Mill

mikenevell

The National Trust are currently recruiting volunteers at the Mill at Dunham Massey, Trafford, Greater Manchester. The 17th century water-powered saw mill is one of the oldest buildings on the estate, as well as being one of the few working watermills in the region.

The Mill volunteers play a vital role in bringing Dunham Massey to life and will help to: make visitors feel welcome and ensuring they have a memorable visit; deliver a daily programme of tours; familiarise themselves with the character and history of the mill; help to undertake simple practical work in maintaining the Mill (training provided); and assist with visitor queries.

Informal interview dates: 8 and 11 Feb 2023. Further details on how to apply can be found here:

https://myvolunteering.nationaltrust.org.uk/opportunity-view?id=7089a738-79e4-49b7-9d01-be12ce09552b&distance=1
Port Sunlight Village Seeking New Trustee

Port Sunlight Village Seeking New Trustee

mikenevell

The Port Sunlight Village Trust are seeking a new voluntary trustee board member with expertise in global heritage conservation. This is following the announcing of their World Heritage ambitions for Port Sunlight.

Port Sunlight is the world’s finest planned working-class community, and was founded by ‘Soap King’ William Hesketh Lever in 1888. The village was built to house Lever’s ‘Sunlight Soap’ factory workers.

The closing date for applications for this voluntary position is 12th September. For more details follow this link: https://www.portsunlightvillage.com/psvt-seeks-new-board-members/

Bath Stone Quarry Museum Trust Looking for Help

mikenevell

The Bath Stone Quarry Museum Trust is a charity set up by the David Pollard 30 years ago.  Until his untimely death in September 2017 he had collected a large number of items, documents and photos relating to the quarrying and transport of Bath Stone with the eventual intention of opening a museum.  The collection is safely housed in an industrial unit at Corsham – which was the centre of the quarrying business in later years. 

Last year the AIA part funded the restoration of the Trust’s Stothert and Pitt crane which is destined for display on the Riverside at Bath close to the site of the Stothert & Pitt works. The trustees recently commissioned Dr Peter Stanier to assess the importance of the collection.  He found that the collection was the most complete of its kind and not only of local, regional but also national importance.  The collection is unique in including tools that would have been recognised by Roman quarry men right through to massive machines in operation into the 21st Century.  One of the trustees has been carefully cataloguing the collection and David’s widow, Nina Roberts, is now looking for help with that work as well for additional trustees who could take forward the vision of a museum.

If you can help please contact Nina Roberts here: nina@ninarobertsart.co.uk

Further details about this important collection can be found by following this link: https://bathnewseum.com/2022/01/12/the-building-blocks-of-bath/