#001 - December 2015
Dorset County Museum Volunteer Newsletter Dates for Your Diary:
Welcome to your first monthly newsletter where you can find all the latest news...
Thurs 3 Dec DORCHESTER CHRISTMAS CRACKER NIGHT
At this very important time in the history of Dorset County Museum, we have introduced this monthly Volunteer’s Newsletter so that everyone can be kept in the loop on all the exciting developments happening within the Museum. We hope that in time you will make this monthly newsletter your own and contribute news and information about your own work at the Museum that you want to share. And most importantly, have some fun with it and communicate with your fellow volunteers.
5.00pm - 9.00pm Come and meet Father Christmas and enjoy a glass of mulled wine & a mince pie at the Museum.
Fri 11 Dec CHRISTMAS DRINKS
From 6.00pm Please join the President, Trustees, staff , members and Volunteers for festive drinks. DCM Christmas Cards are available to buy from the shop NOW!
Free Training Course Don’t miss out on your chance to participate in the following training course:
‘Behind the scenes at the 21st Century Museum’- a free online course from School of Museum Studies at University of Leicester & National Museums Liverpool. Begins Mon 18 Jan 2016. For more information, please visit www.futurelearn.co m/courses/museum
What do you think about the name of your newsletter, DCMVOX? Although it could be easily mistaken for Roman numerals, we chose VOX (as many of you may know) because it is the Latin word for ‘Voice’. If you would like to contribute to the January issue, please email your suggestions to Gabriella Crouch on fundraising@dorsetcountymuseum.org by Mon 14 Dec 2015.
Collections Discovery Centre Update Where we are... Following the Heritage Lottery Fund’s award of £450,000 of Stage 1 funding for the CDC project back in May, we have started working on what is known as the HLF Development Phase. This funding will be used to develop and produce: Architectural Plans Activity Plans Conservation Plans Interpretation & Exhibition Plans Carbon Footprint Plans Archaeological Work Management Plans Project Plans Design Briefs Cost Plans A 10 year Business Plan These all have to be ready for submission on 12th May 2017– or the remainder of the total grant of £10.4 million that the HLF have pledged will be lost. There is also the small matter of our match-fundraising of around £3 million to work on as well!
Where we’re heading... We will be announcing further appointments
very soon to complete our design team, such as our new Architect All of you will be consulted about the project
as it develops & many of you will be asked to contribute in various ways to assist these newly appointed experts with your ‘insider’ Museum knowledge! In the meantime, if anyone wants to have a
look at the HLF documentation and plans so far, you are welcome to come to the Museum Office and view them New Appointments… Consultants
Nick Coggins, Project Manager
Jim Magill, Quantity Surveyor
Judy Niner, Fundraising Consultant
Jane Alexander, Activity Planner
Stephen Escritt, Business Planner
Rowenna Wood, Conservation Planner
Museum Staff
Gabriella Crouch, Fundraising & Development Manager
MANY THANKS to all our volunteers – without you our Museum would not function as effectively as it does.
Dorset County Museum, High West Street, Dorchester, Dorset, DT1 1XA Tel: 01305 262735 - www.dorsetcountymuseum.org
Visitor Quote of the Month: ‘An absolutely incredible museum, one of the best I’ve been in. Very well done. Thank you.’
THANK YOU! A big thank you to all of our volunteers who have helped with the re-display of the Ancient Dorset Gallery. There are far too many of you to name individually, but it simply could not have been done without you. Please see the visitor comments below:
‘The new Archaeological Gallery is beautifully laid out with wonderful displays reflecting the history of Dorset from an array of periods and finds.’ ‘The Ancient Dorset Gallery is stunning!’
Welcome to the Dorset County Museum’s newest volunteers
Who’s Who with...Terry Riggs
We look forward to meeting & working with you all soon!
Department of work: Education Jon’s Jottings…
Favourite part of your job: ‘My favourite part of my job has been exploring new learning. I enjoy the wonderful opportunities for digression and the fact there is plenty of ‘elbow room’ for me to do the job my own way. Very importantly, I need the discipline of having to deliver the goods!’
Favourite object: ‘As a tour guide, I have discovered lots of favourite objects but I would have to pick the two Bronze Mirrors because they say so much about
Did you know… ‘It has been planned that the Museum will only have to shut for a short period of 3 months during the Museum’s development project, in the winter of 2019/2020 meaning disruption to staff, volunteers and visitors will be as minimal as possible.’
transition times, art and social hierarchy.’
Wessex 5 Museums Partnership The Wessex 5 Museums Partnership is a new partnership of five leading museums across the counties of Dorset and Wiltshire, namely: Poole Museum Dorset County Museum Russell Cotes Museum & Art Gallery Salisbury Museum Wiltshire Museum The partnership has secured funding from Arts Council England to facilitate a
Jon Murden, Director
significant step change for the individual the wider museums sector. museums & the partnership as a whole. It In the next 18 months we will also be recognised that the Wessex 5 Museums working on developing new marketing share much common ground & potential, offers and conducting visitor surveys as and the project aims are to: part of this process– for which we will need your help when the time comes. Raise the profile of our individual Museums, attract new & more diverse The Exciting Bit… audiences and visitors As the project develops, there will be a Improve resilience of the museums’ variety of training and skills workshops business models by developing available to volunteers & staff. As well as, a number of networking additional income streams opportunities with the other partner Develop the skills of staff & volunteers museums. in fundraising, tourism & marketing Keep your eyes peeled for details on these which will be publicised in due Share learning to promote excellence both within the partnership, & across course.
Seasons Greetings & a Happy New Year to Everyone If you would like to receive this newsletter by email please send your contact details to Gabriella Crouch on fundraising@dorsetcountymuseum.org