Swim newsletter no6 2018 02 28

No. 6: 28 Feb 2018—page 1

SWIM NEWSLETTER

SWIM - an ACE-funded project to recruit and train volunteers and trustees in Cambridgeshire museums 2016-2018

SWIM2 draws to a close As we move into March, the SWIM project will be coming to a close. The past year and a half has seen the Project Officers, Mark Copley, Sarah Coleman and Mike Brooks, and Museums Partnership Officer, Gordon Chancellor, help 14 independent, Accredited Cambridgeshire museums with their volunteering.

Stronger, fitter We’ve recruited, trained and supported over 175 new volunteers (including Trustees) into 65 new roles, leaving the county’s museums in a much stronger position to face the opportunities of the future. Thank you to all the museums and volunteers who have made us feel so welcome!

We have recruited through Volunteer Fairs, community events, Volunteers Week, museum Open Days, online and through posters and leaflet drops.

On 31 Jan, we had the fourth SWIM Backstage Pass at the Fitzwilliam Museum—Suzanne Reynolds showed SWIM volunteers from 6 museums the Founder’s Library which was followed by a session with the Learning Team on Family Trails. It was very enjoyable and instructive, thank you!

On 3 May, the third Trustee Muster will be held at Ely Museum.

These musters have helped create a support network for Board members and will be an important legacy of the project as the muster is opened county-wide.

Twilight, Christmas and a Call to Arms!

With increased volunteer numbers, all bringing their experiences and enthusiasm, museums have been able to offer additional community events.

Three examples being Twilight at Wisbech Museum, and Cromwell Museum’s Christmas candle making activity and their A Call to Arms event marking the start of the English Civil War, engaging hundreds of visitors with their heritage (photos, counter-clockwise).

We have now issued all of the 2018 SWIM Rewards Cards for volunteers. These allow free entry and/or other benefits to all participating museums in the SWIM project, and have been eagerly anticipated!

The SWIM CD Resource Pack containing volunteering documentation templates and checklists, as well as Trustee and Museum guidance sheets will be placed on the Museums in

No. 6: 28 Feb 2018—page 2

SWIM NEWSLETTER

SWIM - an ACE-funded project to recruit and train volunteers and trustees in Cambridgeshire museums 2016-2018

All SWIM enquiries: Gordon.Chancellor@cambridgeshire.gov.uk

Prepared for the future SWIM has been able to provide the Museum of Cambridge additional support during a challenging period. In January the museum closed for a Deep Clean.

Following a volunteer muster where over 25 new recruits joined, we embarked on an fun six weeks of cleaning objects and the museum. The museum reopened and the difference the volunteers have

Volunteer x2 coordinators One of the aspects of volunteer management SWIM has advocated for are volunteer volunteer coordinators.

Of course these were in existence at fully volunteer-run museums such as Chatteris (Alison) and elsewhere. But their introduction at the Museum of Cambridge and Cromwell Museum have been really important in providing sustainability and building resilience.

At the Museum of Cambridge, Richard, Radha, Charlotte and Beatrice all support volunteering in different ways (Trustee responsible for volunteering, recruitment, training, admin and support).

Similarly, at the Cromwell Museum, Jessica and Jackie do similar roles, with Jessica able to do her duties remotely from home.

SWIM have provided these volunteer coordinators with additional support, both onsite as well as through online e-learning resources.

SWIM provided a dedicated volunteering website which was used to recruit volunteers and trustees.

Trustee and other roles were also advertised in the print media, such as Guardian and Cambridge Edition.

And posters and banners were created for individual museums, such as Burwell Museum for their Action Stations! youth project and their Mill for all Seasons project.

Gordon Chancellor is very grateful to all the participating museums:

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Burwell Museum Chatteris Museum Cromwell Museum Ely Museum Farmland Museum & Denny Abbey March Museum Museum of Cambridge Nene Valley Railway Prickwillow Museum Ramsey Rural Museum Stained Glass Museum St. Neots Museum Whittlesey Museum Wisbech & Fenland Museum