Volunteers Portal
  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
Volunteers Portal Contact Us
Menu

1:1 Bid Writing Surgeries

West Midlands Museum Development is pleased to offer a limited number of free one to one National Lottery Project Grants surgeries with Sarah Waldron.

National Lottery Project Grants is Arts Council England’s (ACE) open access programme for arts, libraries and museums project funding.

Sarah can offer two hours of support to be used flexibly depending on your needs, from helping you to understand what ACE will be looking for in your application, providing bid writing advice, or acting as a critical friend.

This offer is on a first come, first served basis to non-NPO and non-National museums in the Midlands which are Accredited or officially Working Towards Accreditation

Please email wmmd@ironbridge.org.uk if you want to book a surgery with Sarah or have any questions.

Midlands Energy Audits

**UPDATE 21 February – This opportunity is now closed. All audits have been allocated**

West Midlands Museum Development (WMMD), Museum Development East Midlands (MDEM) and Pilio are releasing another round of free energy audits for Museums across the Midlands.

Participating museums will receive an energy audit and report from Pilio. Building energy audits are excellent ways of finding:

Download the information pack to find out more and apply

Audits will be offered on a first come, first served basis to non-NPO and non-National museums in the Midlands which are Accredited or officially Working Towards Accreditation.

NPOs are eligible to apply and will be offered any remaining dates following the closing date of 5pm, Monday 11 March.

Arts Council England National Lottery Project Grants

Upcoming Roadshows

Arts Council England (ACE) has put together five roadshows that are aimed at museum colleagues who want an introduction to National Lottery Project Grants, or a refresher. In November ACE made a few changes to Project Grants responding to feedback to improve and simplify the programme – in particular, for those applying to the under £30,000 strand.

These roadshows cover some of those changes and offer practical insight into what makes a good Museums project proposal, advice on how to strengthen applications and the opportunity to discuss proposals with a Museums Relationship Manager. Whilst all are welcome it will be of particular value to first time applicants, those hesitant about applying and those focusing on the under £30,000 strand.

Audience Development workshop

Join us for a series of three workshops, delivered by Arts Marketing Association and Christina Lister to explore Audience Development. Each workshop is a stand alone event and delegates can choose to attend one or more sessions.

About the Trainer

Christina is a marketing and audience development consultant, trainer and facilitator working with heritage and cultural organisations, with 21 years’ experience as a freelancer and in agency and in-house positions. Christina empowers organisations to develop and execute marketing that connects to audiences with purpose and impact.

Her experience spans museums, heritage sites, libraries, archives, and arts organisations including the Science Museum Group, Museum of London, AIM, Jane Austen’s House and the Museum of Cambridge. She is a trustee of Kids in Museums and author of the book Marketing Strategy for Museums.

Session one – An Introduction to Audience Data Collection
Wednesday 24 January, 10am-12noon
Online

Understanding who your audiences are is the bedrock of being able to communicate with them in a meaningful way. It will also help you to understand who you’re not reaching, and why. This workshop will cover the basics of why and how to go about collecting data on your audiences, with an overview of different tools for collecting data.

This session will cover:

Book An Introduction to Audience Data Collection

Session two – An Introduction to Creating an Audience Development Plan
Wednesday 31 January, 10am-12noon
Online

An audience development plan will help you reach people you’re not currently reaching and deepen your relationship with those you are. A successful plan requires intent and commitment as it’s the framework that will guide the groundwork. Understanding why it’s important, and what the guiding principles are to creating one, is your first step in the right direction.

This session will cover:

Book An Introduction to Creating an Audience Development Plan

Session three – Introduction to Online Marketing
Wednesday 7 February, 10am-12noon
Online

What’s meant when we talk about online marketing? This workshop will clarify the different roles that your website, social media channels and your newsletters have within your overall marketing approach, and how to tailor the language and content you use for each.

This session will cover:

Book Introduction to Online Marketing

Essential information

Delegates will have the opportunity to ask questions throughout each session. The training will include breakout room discussions between delegates. There will be a short midway comfort break.

Maximum two delegates per organisation. Priority will be given to delegates from non-NPO and non-National museums in the West Midlands which are Accredited or officially Working Towards Accreditation. 

These events are for delegates in the East Midlands and West Midlands. If your museum is based in the East Midlands please book via the MDEM website.

Accessibility 

These events will be auto-captioned through Zoom. If you would benefit from any other form of access support, including live captioning, please answer ‘yes’ to the access requirements question on the booking form and email the WMMD team as early as possible stating the support you require. If you would find it beneficial for your learning and accessibility Slides can be shared around one week in advance on request.

All participants will receive an email containing a Zoom link to the training prior to the event. The email will be sent to the email address used for booking. If you have not received an email the day before the event please contact us.

Conference 2023 Access Information

In-person Delegates:

Purpose, Practice, Pizzazz will be held at Enginuity, Ironbridge Gorge Museum Trust. The main conference sessions will be held in the Engine Shop, Enginuity, with workshops across the Coalbrookdale site.

All sessions in the Engine Shop will be live captioned by a Speech-to-text-Reporter (STTR). Captions will be displayed on two 50 inch LED screens located on either side of the main stage.

All speakers will be provided with microphones.

A Hearing Loop is available in the Engine Shop.

There is step-free access to the Engine Shop via ramps.

Accessible toilets are located in Enginuity.

The approach to all conference venues is via a tarmac car park.

Enginuity

The exhibition is mainly on one level with a lift to the mezzanine floor.

There are accessible toilets.

Exhibits are multi-sensory.

This is a noisy environment with frequent loud sounds.

Workshop Venues and Coalbrookdale Gallery

The Glass Classroom, Coalbrookdale Gallery, Board Room and Members Room are all accessed via the Covered Bays. Access through the Covered Bays is step free. The underfoot surface is uneven in places (original brickwork).

The Glass Classroom and Coalbrookdale Gallery are located on the ground floor.

The Board Room and Members Room are located on the first floor. They can be accessed via stairs or lift.

Museum of Iron – LYNNEBEC Workshop

The workshop will take place on the first floor which is accessible by stairs or lift.

There is an accessible toilet.

Furnace Kitchen

There is step-free access into the Furnace Kitchen.

Further accessibility information for the museum venues can be found here. https://www.ironbridge.org.uk/plan/access-information/

Online Delegates:

All online sessions will be live captioned by a Speech-to-text-Reporter (STTR).

If you would benefit from any adjustment or support for accessibility, please email the WMMD team as early as possible with the adjustment you require.

Museum Development 24-26

Ironbridge Gorge Museum Trust, as current providers of the West Midlands Museum Development programme, is delighted to announce that between 2024 and 2026 it will partner with Leicestershire County Council, which runs Museum Development East Midlands, and combine forces to deliver a region wide Museum Development Midlands. Today Arts Council England has announced that it will give a grant of £571,420 per year for two years to this new Midlands programme to fund its work providing business development support to museums and their workforces across the Midlands. The Midlands programme will support museums to consider and mitigate risks and explore and respond to opportunities. Activities will support the workforce to develop creative and dynamic practice which will ultimately benefit individuals, local communities and the heritage and cultural sector.

Emmie Kell, Director of Museums and Cultural Property, Arts Council England, said: “We know how important museums are to their communities and all they do to help tackle isolation, build connections, foster creativity and instil a strong sense of place. The Museum Development Programme is an essential part of the Arts Council’s development offer for museums.

“We are delighted to be announcing our Museum Development partners across England who will help to deliver a refreshed Museum Development programme from April 2024”.

“All the partners within the programme have extensive skills, local knowledge and on the ground relationships which will be vital in helping museums respond to challenges and opportunities to face the future with confidence.”

 

Disability Essentials eLearning

Disability Essentials is an eLearning programme that helps staff and volunteers ensure they are confident and skilled in their engagement with disabled people. The course combines legal expertise with the lived experience of disabled people.

Who should take the course?
This training is suitable for all museum staff and volunteers, as either an introduction or refresher training. The flexibility of the eLearning format is ideal for public-facing and operational roles, like Front of House.

Learners can save and re-enter the modules where they left off. The modules are interactive and use illustrations, videos and pop quizzes to secure learning.

Sign up anytime before 1 March 2024, learners have until 31 March 2024 to complete the modules and will receive a Certificate upon completion of the course.

Disability Essentials is available to museums in the West Midlands, freelancers and WMMD training partners who would like to enrol up to 15 team members to undertake the Disability Essentials eLearning course for free.

Find our more about the Disability Essentials eLearning Programme.

Disability Essentials eLearning Sign up – Anytime before 1 March 2024

Disability Essentials is an eLearning programme that helps staff and volunteers ensure they are confident and skilled in their engagement with disabled people. The course combines legal expertise with the lived experience of disabled people.

Who should take the course?
This training is suitable for all museum staff and volunteers, as either an introduction or refresher training. The flexibility of the eLearning format is ideal for public-facing and operational roles, like Front of House.

Learners can save and re-enter the modules where they left off. The modules are interactive and use illustrations, videos and pop quizzes to secure learning.

Sign up anytime before 1 March 2024, learners have until 31 March 2024 to complete the modules and will receive a Certificate upon completion of the course.

How to access the learning modules
Please ask each colleague to book onto the course using the booking button below.

Disability Essentials is available to museums in the West Midlands, freelancers and WMMD training partners who would like to enrol up to 15 team members to undertake the Disability Essentials eLearning course for free.

Disability Essentials eLearning
Flexible timings: undertake modules at a time and date to suit you
Online

Midlands Energy Audit Programme

WMMD, Museum Development East Midlands (MDEM) and Pilio are partnering to offer a limited number of energy audits for museums across the Midlands in autumn/winter 2023

Participating museums will receive an energy audit and report from Pilio.

Building energy audits are excellent ways of finding:

Priority will be given to museums who are non-NPO Accredited or Working Towards Accreditation.

Apply and find out more about the Midlands Energy Audit Programme.

Audits will take place from the end of October and throughout November.

Audits will be offered to museums who are non-NPO Accredited or Working Towards Accreditation on a first come, first served basis. 

NPOs are eligible to apply and will be offered any remaining dates following the closing date of Wednesday 4 October.

Winter is Coming: Maintaining collections care standards during an energy crisis

As winter approaches, and the pressure of high energy bills continues to have impact, how can museums ensure that they safely maintain their collections?

Join Jane Thompson-Webb, Conservation Team Leader at Birmingham Museum Trust for this two hour online session. Jane will look at some of the steps we can take in our collection stores, display areas and exhibition spaces to reduce our energy consumption whilst continuing to protect collections and to take forward learning experiences from last winter.

This is an updated version of last year’s ‘Winter is Coming’ workshop. You are welcome to attend again if you came along last year but this is aimed at those who are looking anew at energy bills and the impact on collection care this winter.

This online event will be auto-captioned by Zoom. If you would benefit from live captioning or any other form of access support, please answer ‘yes’ to the access requirements question on the booking form and email the WMMD team as early as possible stating the support you require.

Places are limited, no more than two delegates per organisation. Priority will be given to non-NPO and non-National museums in the West Midlands which are Accredited or officially Working Towards Accreditation.

All participants will receive an email containing a Zoom link prior to the event. The email will be sent to the email address used for booking. If you have not received an email by the day before the event please contact us.

If you can’t see the booking button the event is fully booked. To join the waiting list please email wmmd@ironbridge.co.uk

“Winter is Coming”: Maintaining collections care standards during an energy crisis
Tuesday 3 October, 10am-12noon
Online