Developing Volunteering in Museums: Report to the Baring Foundation

DRAFT

Institute for Volunteering Research

March 2006

1 Contents

Contents...... 2

1. Introduction...... 3 1.1 Context...... 3 1.2 Aims and objectives of the programme...... 3 1.3 Aims and objectives of the research...... 3 1.4 Methodology...... 3 1.4.1 Literature review...... 3 1.4.2 Baseline...... 3 1.4.3 Interim...... 3 1.4.4 End of project...... 3 1.5 The report...... 3

2. Three Museums, Three Approaches...... 3 2.1 Egypt Centre...... 3 2.1.1 Background to the museum...... 3 2.1.2 Volunteering prior to the Baring Foundation project...... 3 2.1.3 Aims for the Baring Foundation project...... 3 2.1.4 Project delivery and outputs...... 3 2.1.5 Project impacts and learning...... 3 2.2 Fairfax house...... 3 2.2.1 Background to the museum...... 3 2.2.2 Volunteering prior to the Baring Foundation project...... 3 2.2.3 Aims for the Baring Foundation project...... 3 2.2.4 Project delivery and outputs...... 3 2.2.5 Project impacts and learning...... 3 2.3 The Harris Museum...... 3 2.3.1 Background to the museum...... 3 2.3.2 Volunteering prior to Baring Foundation project...... 3 2.3.3 Aims for the Baring Foundation project...... 3 2.3.4 Project delivery and outputs...... 3 2.3.5 Project impacts and learning...... 3

3. Considering the Grant...... 3 3.1 What worked...... 3 3.2 Areas of learning...... 3

4. Conclusions: Developing Relationships...... 3

References...... 3

2 1. Introduction 1.1 Context Volunteers are a vital resource for many museums (Holmes, 1999; 2003; Scottish Museums, 2002). Involving volunteers allows museums to extend the services they offer, helps them to do things they would not normally do, and promotes user involvement (IVR, 2002). Despite this reliance on volunteers and the added value that museums gain from their involvement, evidence suggests that the support provided for volunteers is variable. One survey, for example, found that only a small percentage of museums had a dedicated volunteer manager or coordinator and less than half had a volunteer policy (ibid). In addition, volunteers within museums tend to be quite a homogenous group, with an over-representation of older age groups and women and an under- representation of people from Black and minority ethnic groups (see for example, Scott et al, 1993; IVR, 2005b). It is within this context that the Baring Foundation launched a programme to enable a small number of museums to enhance their involvement of volunteers.

1.2 Aims and objectives of the programme In 2003, the Baring Foundation established a new grant programme with the aim of “supporting three museums in the development of their relationship with volunteers”. Each museum was to be awarded a grant of £15,000 to undertake their project, the life span of which was to be between eight and 18 months.

Applications for the programme were received from eight museums. Four of these applicants were short-listed for interview; and three were finally selected as programme beneficiaries. The three museums were selected on the basis of a number of criteria including: the aims of their projects; what the museums would gain from the grant; what their experience could teach other museums; and the organisational structure and style of the museums. The potential for learning from the experiences of the three museums was a key consideration.

The three selected museums were:

 Egypt Centre, University of Wales, Swansea;  Fairfax House, York Civic Trust, York;  The Harris Museum and Art Gallery, Preston City Council, Preston.

The grants were awarded in January 2004, to commence in April 2004 and all were due to finish October 2005. However, due to interruptions in one of the museums (see below) the end date was extended until March 2006.

3 1.3 Aims and objectives of the research The Baring Foundation commissioned the Institute for Volunteering Research to conduct an evaluative research review of the funding programme. The aims of the research, upon which this report is based, were to:

 Establish how each of the museums used its grant to develop its relationship with volunteers over a period of 18 months;  Establish how effective each of the museums was in meeting the aims of their respective projects.

The research was not set up as a traditional summative evaluation exercise. Rather it was designed more along the lines of an action research approach, whereby the researchers observed and monitored the progress of the projects throughout their lifetimes and provided regular feedback to the Baring Foundation and to the participating museums.

1.4 Methodology The overall approach to the research methodology was the same for all three museums. However, the exact methods used varied. This flexibility was intentional, allowing for the individual characteristics of three contrasting museums to be accommodated within the research process.

1.4.1 Literature review A review of the literature on volunteer involvement in museums was undertaken at the start of the project; this included reviewing key museums volunteering texts, broader literature of volunteer management; and broader literature on museum development. The literature review was published separately in 2005 (IVR, 2005a).

1.4.2 Baseline In each of the museums a baseline assessment was conducted. Generally this involved a visit to the museum, interview(s) with key staff, and research among volunteers (questionnaires in all museums, alongside either focus groups or interviews). The baseline research also included documentary analysis of items such as previous reports on volunteering at the museum, evaluations of projects, volunteer policies and development plans.

The baseline volunteer questionnaire collected data on the number of volunteers actively engaged in the museum; their profile; roles undertaken by volunteers; motivations; satisfaction levels; and their views of existing support mechanisms.

In the Egypt Centre three focus groups were conducted with volunteers. Each drew together different groups of volunteers, based on the age categorisation of volunteers that the museum has developed (see below). The focus groups sought to explore the attitudes and experiences of volunteers within the museum;

4 their satisfaction with support; and their hopes for the Baring Foundation project. A volunteer survey was also conducted. This was distributed among 65 volunteers, with 29 (45%) returned. All museum staff were interviewed at this stage.

In Fairfax House, the baseline volunteer survey was distributed to180 volunteers, with 96 (53%) returned. Key members of staff were also interviewed at this stage.

In The Harris Museum, the baseline volunteer survey was distributed among 53 volunteers, with 27 (51%) returned. In addition, a survey of staff was conducted in The Harris Museum to review the attitudes of paid staff to volunteer involvement in the museum. The baseline staff survey was distributed among 28 staff members, with 14 (50%) returned.

Baseline reports were produced for each of the museums and distributed among the museums and the Baring Foundation.

1.4.3 Interim Approximately half way through the projects the research team visited each of the museums and conducted mid-term review interviews with project coordinators and key staff at the museums, alongside informal interviews with volunteers. In addition, throughout the duration of the project the researchers had ongoing contact with the project staff in each of the museums and attended different events as appropriate. For example, the research team attended a project launch event at the Egypt Centre, and at Fairfax House the research team participated in the interview panel for the volunteer coordinator post created through the project.

Interim reports were produced on each of the museums for the Baring Foundation.

1.4.4 End of project In each of the museums an end of project impact assessment was conducted. Generally this involved a visit to the museum, interview(s) with key staff, and research among volunteers (questionnaires in all museums, alongside interviews in some).

The end of project volunteer impact questionnaire collected data on the satisfaction levels of volunteers; their view of support mechanisms provided for volunteers; and, their views on developments in the museum related to the implementation of the Baring Foundation project.

In the Egypt Centre, semi-structured interviews were conducted with all staff in the museum, with stakeholders from the parent body, and with volunteers. The end of project volunteer impact questionnaire was distributed to 66 volunteers, but received a very low response rate, with just 6 (9%) returned. This low

5 response rate may reflect the high levels of participation among volunteers in other research elements.

In Fairfax House semi-structured interviews were conducted with the volunteer coordinator and line-manager, and out of approximately 180 distributed 67 volunteer impact questionnaires were returned, giving a response rate of 37%.

In The Harris Museum semi-structured interviews were conducted with the volunteer coordinator and line-manager, and out of the 48 distributed 25 volunteer impact questionnaires were returned, giving a 52% response rate. In The Harris Museum an end of project impact survey of staff was also conducted. Out of the 28 members of staff sent a survey, 16 responded, giving a response rate of 57%. Three-quarters of the staff who responded worked alongside volunteers.

1.5 The report This report distils the key findings from the each of the research elements. Chapter two discusses the three approaches adopted by the museums and the impacts of each project; chapter three discusses crosscutting issues connected to the funding programme itself; and chapter four draws some conclusions.

6 2. Three Museums, Three Approaches The three museums were all different in terms of size, focus, organisational structure, funding framework and location. All three had very different starting points in terms of volunteer involvement, with different histories of involvement and different existing practices of volunteer management. All three had different project aims and aspirations. This chapter gives a brief background to each the museums, their involvement of volunteers, the aims of their Baring Foundation projects, the ways in which the project was delivered, and the key impacts for each museum in turn.

2.1 Egypt Centre 2.1.1 Background to the museum The Egypt Centre is part of University of Wales Swansea. It is located in the centre of the campus in the Taliesin Art Centre. The museum was officially opened to the public in 1998. It comes under the management of the Taliesin Arts Centre, and has close links to the Department of Classics and Ancient History.

The post of paid curator was created in 1997 and the museum now has four full time paid members of staff (a curator, assistant curator, volunteer liaison officer, and shop assistant) and four part time members of staff. Many of the staff had previously been volunteers at the museum.

2.1.2 Volunteering prior to the Baring Foundation project At the start of the Baring Foundation project, volunteers outnumbered paid staff at the Egypt Centre by a ratio of approximately 8:1. At the point of the baseline volunteer survey there were 65 volunteers, a few of whom had been involved since shortly after the museum opened. There was also an active Friends groups. The volunteers were generally very active and committed, with the baseline survey finding that many of the respondents volunteered on a weekly basis. They tended to get involved because it was something that connected with their interests, to meet new people and to learn new skills. Most respondents to the baseline survey found out about their volunteering through posters or leaflets or through word of mouth.

The volunteers were divided into three key groups: Nubies are 9-16 year olds who volunteer on Saturdays and in the school holidays; MVs are 16-24 year olds (mainly university students); Lectors are those aged over 24 years. In terms of diversity, the baseline survey found that the volunteers were drawn from a wide age range; indeed the museum is unusual in its high level of involvement of young volunteers. However, most volunteers were white and there was a slight over-representation of female volunteers.

Volunteers have traditionally been involved in the museum in a wide variety of ways – including assisting in the galleries, leading educational sessions,

7 assisting in the shop, meeting and greeting visitors, and fundraising. This involvement of volunteers in most aspects of the museum again makes the Egypt Centre relatively unusual among museums.

Prior to the Baring Foundation project, the Egypt Centre had a well-established and structured volunteer programme, with effective policies, procedures, training programmes, master classes for volunteers, and a volunteer liaison officer in place. A survey conducted by the museum among its volunteers in 2001 found a high degree of satisfaction about their involvement and this was reinforced through the baseline survey and focus groups for this project within which a majority of respondents said they were ‘very satisfied’ with the support they received.

2.1.3 Aims for the Baring Foundation project Rather than radically changing the direction of the volunteering programme at the Egypt Centre, the Baring Foundation project was designed to enhance the existing activities. The four key aims of the Baring Foundation project at the Egypt Centre were to:

 Increase the sense of involvement/ownership among volunteers, by allowing volunteers to publicly give their views on objects held by the museum;  Increase community involvement through increasing the number of volunteers from the wider community;  Increase the number of courses available to volunteers;  Enhance accessibility for disabled people.

2.1.4 Project delivery and outputs The project was managed within the museum by the assistant curator and delivered by the volunteer liaison officer and a project assistant who was employed on a part time, fixed term basis through the project. Attempts were made to set up a project committee to oversee it, but the museum experienced problems in recruiting members and in the end abandoned the idea. Volunteers, however, were involved in the shaping of the project and all were sent details of the funding bid once it had been secured; the job description for the project assistant and project updates were also circulated among all volunteers.

The project was officially launched in April 2004 and was due to run until October 2005. However, it should be noted that through the duration of the grant the museum was keen to stress that this was not seen as a ‘bolt on’ project with fixed start and end date, rather it was funding that would enable them to change the ways in which they involved volunteers on an ongoing basis.

8 A number of key outputs can be identified from the project, in line with its key aims.

1. Increasing ownership:

 Volunteer presentations: The main budget item within the Egypt Centre project was for the purchase of a plasma screen, brought to enable the screening of volunteer presentations on individually selected objects from within the museum. The aims for this part of the project were to enable volunteers to get more involved in the interpretation of objects; increase the profile of volunteers within the museum; and increase the visibility of the collection among the public. Negotiations undertaken by project staff meant that the capital outlay for the screen was considerably less than initially budgeted for, enabling the museum to also buy a laptop, a digital camera and a DVD rewriter, all of which have been used to run the presentations. The project assistant assisted the volunteers with their object selection and presentation production. At the time of the final research visit approximately 20 presentations had been compiled. These were being run on a continual loop on the screen in the main entrance to the museum;

 Volunteer displays and interpretation labels: A display case was purchased for dedicated displays of items selected by the volunteers. In addition to having their own dedicated display case, volunteers have been encouraged to select an object either from an existing display or from storage, research that object, and then produce their own interpretation label. The volunteers’ labels were included alongside the curator’s label within the display cases. The aims were two fold: to increase the sense of ownership among volunteers by enabling them to interpret their own objects, and to enhance the museum by providing visitors with alternative interpretations;

 Volunteers’ newsletter: A volunteer newsletter was established as part of the project, and at the time of the last research visit six editions had been produced. The newsletter is written and edited by volunteers, and distributed to all. Despite apparent enthusiasm for the newsletter, some difficulties, however, have been faced in getting volunteers to contribute articles for inclusion;

 Library bookcase: Project money was put towards the purchase of a bookcase to hold the museum’s library collection. Volunteers have privileged access to the library.

2. Increasing the courses available to volunteers:

9  Label design: Training was provided for the volunteers on producing object interpretation labels;

 IT training: Training was provided for the volunteers on PowerPoint, to give them the skills to create their own presentations to be displayed on the plasma screen.

3. Increasing community involvement:

 Portable display boards: A display board was purchased as part of the project. It has been used as a tool to highlight the role of existing volunteers and to recruit new ones;

 Outreach: The museum has written to numerous locally based organisations, particularly those working with Black and Minority Ethnic groups, with the aim of engaging them in the museum. None of these approaches have come to fruition. Links with one disability organisation were, however, strengthened through the project (see below).

4. Enhancing access for disabled people:

 Audio guides: Audio ‘wands’ have been purchased through the grant with the aim of producing audio guides to the museum. Volunteers have been involved in recording the guides, further enhancing the sense of involvement of volunteers in the museum;

 Translations: Braille translations have been produced of museum information sheets and Welsh translations have also been produced, both with the aim of increasing access to the museum;

 Partnerships: An existing partnership, with a day care centre, has been strengthened and the museum has involved clients with mental ill health as volunteers.

2.1.5 Project impacts and learning A number of key impacts and areas of learning can be identified from the Baring Foundation project within the Egypt Centre:

o Increased sense of ownership and active involvement: Through the various strands of the project, it was apparent that volunteers had developed a stronger sense of involvement in and ownership of the museum. For example, during end of project interviews volunteers talked about ‘my object’; ‘our collection’; ‘our museum’. It was also apparent they had become more assertive in making suggestions for how the museum could be developed and run.

10 o Enhanced knowledge and confidence: Although not all volunteers had chosen to do so, those that had created presentations, put objects on display, or produced interpretation labels were enthusiastic about their involvement and talked of increased confidence, commitment, enjoyment and pride. Volunteers talked about being more knowledgeable about the collection within the museum, particularly ‘their’ selected objects. Interestingly though, it was noted by staff, that while the aim of encouraging volunteers to produce their own interpretation labels had been both to increase ownership and to enhance the experience of visitors by providing alternative interpretations of objects, in reality the volunteer labels did not often provide radically different interpretations to the official museum labels. o More engaged and empowered volunteers: The museum benefited from more engaged and empowered volunteers. Volunteers, for example, were increasingly forthcoming in their suggestions for how the museum could develop or what could be done to improve the services provided. However, this also led to interesting issues for the museum staff in terms of boundaries and dealing with the demands of volunteers. o Diversity of involvement: While the museum has a successful history of engaging young people and had, through the project, increased its involvement of disabled people, it struggled to attract volunteers from the Black and minority ethnic community. This may be due to a number of factors, including the location of the museum within the university campus (with issues of signage and physical accessibility of the site, being coupled with issues of image associated with such formal educational institutions) and a lack of capacity to do direct outreach with Black and minority ethnic groups. o Leveraging additional funding: Due to resourcefulness and the development of good links within the university, the Egypt Centre had been able to extend the project grant to cover far greater capital outlay than initially planed. While the initial budget had costed in the plasma screen, display cases and display boards, the museum had also been able to purchase the laptop, DVD, digital camera and audio wands. o Partnerships: The development of partnerships through the project can be seen as both a success and a challenge. Successfully partnerships were developed with a disability organisation and strong links had also been forged within the university, between the museum and the Art Centre. However, the museum struggled to develop partnerships with other community groups, particularly those within the Black and minority ethnic community. Attempts to engage community groups within the steering group through sending out letters, for

11 example, did not come to fruition. Beyond sending letters, however, the museum did not actively engage in outreach work within these communities and that more personal approach could be a more fruitful alternative in the future.

2.2 Fairfax house 2.2.1 Background to the museum York Civic Trust was established in 1946 to preserve the city’s architectural heritage and to encourage cultural, artistic and educational activities. Opened in 1984, Fairfax House is one of five houses the Trust has restored. The museum houses a collection of English furniture and clocks.

The museum has a small team of 11professional paid staff and a large team of volunteers.

2.2.2 Volunteering prior to the Baring Foundation project With about 180 volunteers when the Baring project began, the ratio of volunteers to staff at Fairfax House was approximately 16:1. A number of the volunteers had been involved in the museum since it opened in the 1980s. The museum had a large and loyal body of volunteers, but one that was relatively homogenous. The base line survey found, for example, that eight out of ten volunteers were aged over 65 years and 92% were retired.

The diversity of roles that volunteers performed within the museum was also limited, with 90% of the volunteers being involved in room stewarding and most performing a single task. Many of the volunteers said they had got involved as it was something that connected with their interests, only a very few got involved to learn new skills.

In terms of the management and support structures in place for volunteers, these were relatively limited before the Baring Foundation project. There was no volunteer coordinator in place, for example. Despite this, however, the baseline survey found quite high levels of satisfaction among volunteers. There was general acknowledgement, however that the volunteering programme needed reinvigorating, particularly in terms of attracting new volunteers.

2.2.3 Aims for the Baring Foundation project Through the Baring Foundation project, Fairfax House aimed to:

 Devise a strategy to recruit new volunteers from an ever-increasing number of York residents taking early retirement, but who had not previously considered helping a museum in this way.

The objectives for the project were to:  Enhance the support of volunteers, through imparting knowledge to new and existing volunteers about the collection;

12  Expand recruitment, with an initial focus on the newly retired;  Improve the quality of information given to the visiting public through the re-acquaintance of volunteers with the collection and exhibits.

The Baring Foundation project was not seen as a way to introduce new volunteer management systems. Indeed, Fairfax House has prided itself on a relatively informal approach to volunteer management and many volunteers were resistant to change.

2.2.4 Project delivery and outputs The project was managed within the museum by the Director of the museum and, once appointed, delivered by the volunteer coordinator. The appointment of a volunteer coordinator was the main focus of the project, but in addition a number of key strands of activity can be identified.

1. Enhancing volunteer support

 Appointment of a volunteer coordinator: A majority of the project grant was used within Fairfax House to appoint a part time volunteer coordinator. The coordinator was appointed in April 2005 on a 12- month contract. The appointed coordinator had previously been working at Fairfax as a Custodian. The role of the volunteer coordinator was to:

- Train and support volunteers and staff who undertake education work in Fairfax House; - Identify likely sources of volunteer help and promote the benefits of this activity to groups, societies and individuals; - Organise and participate in workshops, lectures and study tours which enhance the volunteers’ appreciation of the museum, collection and exhibition programme; - Produce high quality education materials which will assist the volunteers in their duties; - As a team, support colleagues, participate in staff meetings and contribute to the objectives of the property as a whole.

 Providing a central point of contact: The volunteer coordinator post provided a central point of contact for volunteers and staff working with volunteers across the museum for the first time. As part of the role, the volunteer coordinator provided a new mechanism to enhance communication between staff and volunteers.

13 2. Volunteer recruitment

 Posters – Volunteer recruitment posters were designed and distributed in venues such as libraries and canteens across York. In addition to this general recruitment campaign, a poster was designed to specifically target potential students volunteers and this was distributed through the universities;

 External talks: A considerable focus of the volunteer coordinator’s work was on outreach work and as part of this a series of talks were given to different societies across York about Fairfax and its collection, during which the idea of volunteering was introduced;

 Encouraging word of mouth recruitment: The volunteer coordinator worked to encourage existing volunteers to recruit their friends, colleagues and contacts through word of mouth. Any contacts given by volunteers were written to and given a follow up phone call;

 Reviewing recruitment procedures: The volunteer coordinator led discussions within the museum on the need for volunteer references. During the project period, the Trustees tried to introduce a policy that stated that new volunteers should be known to the museum for at least five years. This would clearly create a barrier to involvement, and the implications for the volunteering programme were subject to much debate. At the time of reporting, no conclusion had been reached on the mater.

3. Improving the quality of information given to the public

 Volunteer lectures: A series of lectures were organised and delivered by the coordinator, the museum director and others for the volunteers with the aim of enhancing their knowledge of the collections and so improving the information that they passed on to the public.

2.2.5 Project impacts and learning The project had an impact on Fairfax House. Rather than creating dramatic change in the ways in which volunteers are involved, however, it led to a small step change in volunteer involvement. The following outcomes and points of learning reflect the somewhat cautious approach to the project in this museum.

 Increased volunteer numbers and diversity: A target was not set for the number of volunteers to be recruited through the project; indeed the museum set out to ‘proceed cautiously’ so as not to upset the existing volunteers. With this in mind, the recruitment of 14 new volunteers during the life of the project can be seen as a success. What’s more, through the involvement of student volunteers, this has helped to increase the diversity

14 of volunteers at Fairfax. All stakeholders, however, noted that while this growth had been positive, it was limited. Indeed, it was apparent that there was resistance from both existing volunteers and paid staff to any influx of new volunteers.

 More knowledgeable volunteers: Through the lecture series delivered to the new and existing volunteers, the museum had sought to enhance the consistency of the message given by volunteers to visitors and to do so in such as way so as to ensure volunteers did not feel that this was a criticism. The lectures were deemed successful in terms of stimulating interest, providing training, and integrating new volunteers. At first it seemed that there had been a lack of communication as not all volunteers were aware of the training opportunities, but this was addressed and by the end of the project volunteers were largely positive about the lectures. In the end of project survey, a majority of respondents said that they felt better informed about the collection.

 Balanced volunteer management: There had been little development in terms of the volunteer management systems with Fairfax through the project. Indeed, half of the volunteers responding to the end of project survey said that there had been no change in the support they received. However, it must be noted that this was not a focus of the project, and indeed there was considerable resistance to any change in this direction from both volunteers and staff. Volunteers valued the friendliness and informality of involvement at Fairfax and were resistant towards the development of what many perceived to be bureaucratic or managerialist approaches. This is an issue which extends beyond the museum sector, and which some volunteer coordinators have developed considerable expertise in. However, Fairfax’s volunteer coordinator’s lack of experience of volunteer management may have made the creation of a balanced approach to volunteer management more challenging.

 Volunteer satisfaction: The end of project survey found a very high level of satisfaction among volunteers about the support they receive. Nearly all knew what to expect from the museum and what the museum expected of them, and all said that the relationship between volunteers and paid staff was good. Most also said that they enjoyed their volunteering and that their levels of enjoyment had increased over the project period.

 Sustainability: The funding has come to an end and the Volunteer Coordinator has resigned. The position will not be refilled. Parts of the job will be continued through building in elements to other people’s job descriptions. It is unlikely that all elements, however, will continue.

15 2.3 The Harris Museum 2.3.1 Background to the museum The Harris Free Library, Museum and Art Gallery was established in 1882. Located in Preston, it houses an extensive collection of fine art, decorative art, costume, photography and history artefacts relating to the town. Originally the museum and art gallery and the central library were housed together and run by the Preston Corporation. Following local government reorganisation in 1974, the library has been run by Lancashire County Council and the museum and art gallery by Preston City Council. The Baring Foundation project relates only to the museum and art gallery. The Harris Museum employs approximately 28 members of staff, on a full-time and part-time basis.

2.3.2 Volunteering prior to Baring Foundation project Volunteers have been involved in The Harris Museum for approximately 30 years, and indeed many of the volunteers now involved had been so for approaching 20 years. At the start of the Baring Foundation project, there were approximately 30 volunteers involved in the museum, giving a volunteer to staff ratio of approximately 1:1. In addition, the Friends group includes approximately 500 members.

The results of the baseline volunteer survey highlighted the lack of diversity within the volunteers prior to the project. Men tended to be under-represented as volunteers within the museum, and nearly all the volunteers were over the age of 35 years with a majority being aged over 55 years old and in retirement. It was also apparent that Black and minority ethnic people were under-represented as volunteers. Disabled people however seemed to be better represented.

Word of mouth recruitment was the most common route into volunteering at the museum and volunteers tended to be motivated by self-interest, a desire to give something back, and a desire to meet new people. The development of skills was a relatively low priority.

Volunteers at The Harris Museum have traditionally undertaken a variety of roles. The respondents to the baseline survey, for example, tended to get involved in assisting at events, acting as tour guides, as shop assistants and in funding. Other roles included cataloguing and undertaking research for exhibitors.

Prior to the project, volunteers were managed on a fairly ad hoc basis. Responsibility for involving volunteers was spread across several posts; there was no overall volunteer coordinator. Levels of satisfaction with the support provided for volunteers were mixed. A significant minority of volunteers in the baseline survey said that they were dissatisfied with the support they received. Only half had received training and less than half said that they felt they could

16 claim expenses. A third felt that their efforts weren’t always appreciated, a similar proportion felt that they didn’t get the support they would like and one-quarter felt the work was badly organised. However, most respondents felt that there was a good relationship between volunteers and paid staff in the museum. Nearly all volunteers said that they enjoyed the experience and most gained in terms of satisfaction and making new contacts and friends.

2.3.3 Aims for the Baring Foundation project The overall aims of The Harris Museum’s project were to:

 Develop a sustainable and meaningful system of involving, managing and training volunteers;  Develop opportunities for a wide range of people, including the local Black and minority ethnic community;  Work with hub museum partners to improve training for volunteers and volunteer management systems. More specifically, the project had a number of objectives, as follows:

 Develop, in the long term, a system in which some volunteers act as ‘volunteer organisers’ and take on some of the coordination and management tasks;

 Provide basic training, and ultimately the option for accredited training, for volunteers to maximise the contributing they make and the enjoyment they get;

 Provide a single point of contact for volunteers, potential volunteers and staff requiring volunteers, with the aim of providing equality and ease of access;

 Increase the capacity of the museum to provide appropriate opportunities for volunteers;

 Increase the number of volunteers and volunteer hours benefiting the museum and wider public;

 Ensure that staff can access volunteers to assist with a variety of projects and are aware of the range of skills and experiences that volunteers can bring to the museum.

2.3.4 Project delivery and outputs The focus on the project delivery was on the employment of a part time (3 days a week) volunteer coordinator for an 18-month period. The aim of the coordinator post was to organise the recruitment, support and training of volunteers and to support the Friends Group. The Baring Foundation’s grant of £15,000 was match

17 funded by Preston City Council, to the sum of £5,988, in order to fully fund the post.

A volunteer coordinator was successfully appointment at the end of May 2004, one month after the Baring Foundation project officially commenced. There have been a number of subsequent delays in the project, due to issues of personnel and building maintenance (as discussed below) that have affected the project delivery, and its timescale (the project was extended by six months in acknowledgement of these delays) and its impact. That said, a number of specific steps have been taken.

1. Developing volunteer management systems

 Volunteer handbook: An updated version of the volunteer handbook has been produced as part of the project. This brings together the volunteering policies and procedures for volunteers and information on their role and expectations – these have all been reviewed and updated as part of the process;

 Volunteer meetings: Previously defunct volunteer monthly meetings have been re-established. The meetings times are alternated between evenings and afternoon in order to ensure that as many volunteers as possible can attend. At the time of the last research visit, the meetings were getting an average attendance of 15 volunteers. It was argued, however, that these meetings had been dominated by longer standing volunteers rather than the new ones;

 Volunteer newsletter: A new volunteer newsletter has been launched, with volunteers taking a lead in its production.

2. Developing opportunities for diverse involvement

 Recruitment drives: The volunteer coordinator has not seen the need to embark on a major recruitment drive. There has been no shortage of people applying to volunteer and, as the coordinator expressed it: ‘the building is the best recruitment tool’. Flyers were distributed in the local university but these were see to be of limited value.

 Role diversity: New opportunities have been created for volunteers, such as information assistants, workshop assistants, and PR volunteers. One of the ways in which this has been facilitated is through the implementation of a new project management system which was introduced for all projects which require staff to think through the volunteering implications and opportunities, and has helped to develop new opportunities and enhance volunteer management.

18  Re-launch of the volunteering programme: During the middle of the project, the museum was closed for building work. Whilst this inevitably disrupted the project, the team used it as an opportunity to complete the revision of volunteering policies and procedures and to effectively re- launch the volunteering programme when the museum reopened in Spring 2005.

3. Involvement in the museums hub

 Networking with other museums: the presence of the volunteering coordinator has enabled greater contact to be made with other museums based in Preston and more broadly with the North West as part of the regional hub. These contacts have led to a useful exchange of ideas and information and the strengthening of volunteering programmes within the museums.

2.3.5 Project impacts and learning The project has had a considerable impact on volunteering at The Harris Museum, with staff and volunteers agreeing that there had been significant changes to the ways in which volunteers were involved. The following section summarises the key impacts and points of learning from the project.

 Timescales: A number of challenges were faced in delivering the project in The Harris Museum within the timescales given. Initial delays were experienced in recruiting the volunteer coordinator, somewhat delaying the start of the programme. A further delay occurred half way through the grant due to the closure of the museum from November 2004 to April 2005 for major building works. As most of the volunteers were involved in front- of-house activities, this essentially meant that the volunteer programme was temporarily suspended. In addition, the volunteer coordinator was seconded across to provide cover for the Access and Inclusion officer’s maternity leave for three months from June 2005, during which the volunteer coordinator post was not covered. In recognition of this, Baring agreed to extend the project for three months from the end of December 2005 to March 2006. These interruptions, however, have had an inevitable impact on the volunteering programme.

 Increasing number of volunteers: Overall more volunteers have got involved in the museum, they have given more volunteering hours, and new volunteering opportunities have been created. This was a commonly commented upon change to volunteering noted by staff. At the end of the funding period, numbers of volunteers had increased from approximately 30 to 45. The target set of receiving 800 hours of volunteering during the year was well exceeded, with 1300 hours being recorded a couple of months before the end of the project. Any further expansion of the

19 volunteering programme is limited by the lack of space within the museum for volunteer desks, rest rooms and toilets.

 Diversity of involvement: New opportunities have been created for volunteers, such as information assistants, workshop assistants, and PR volunteers and both staff and volunteers commented upon this growing diversity of volunteer roles. In terms of increasing the diversity of volunteers, however, while significant numbers of young people had started to volunteer at the museum there had been little progress in terms of attracting new volunteers from Black and minority ethnic communities. The lack of progress in terms of engaging more Black and minority ethnic volunteers in the mainstream museum programme has led to a re- evaluation of the approach to diversity. It is felt within the management team that an alternative, more focused approach is required which would involve working with Black and minority ethnic groups on particular exhibitions and projects which would attract their interest and out of which volunteers might emerge. An example of such an approach which has been tried with some success is the ‘labelling project’ in which visitors are asked to identify and write a short note about an exhibit and why it is important to them.

 Strengthening volunteer management practices: The creation of the volunteer coordinator position has provided a central focus for volunteering within the museum. There was a consensus among the staff that volunteers were now better supported in the museum. Volunteers generally felt that the volunteer programme was more structured and focused; they had more information about volunteering, more opportunities to attend events at the museum, and more opportunities for training. However, while volunteers were positive about the additional training opportunities they had received, they felt that this could be developed further. Similarly, while the staff were overwhelmingly positive about the developments to the volunteering programme, they continued to identify the need for staff training in volunteer management.

 Issues of organisational culture: The development of volunteer management within The Harris Museum has led to interesting areas of learning with regard to organisational cultures, and in particular the contrast between the approaches being adopted by the volunteering programme and the traditional styles of working within the City Council. All forms, including the volunteer recruitment form, had to be sent to the personnel department at the City Council to check. They insisted that the volunteer programme use the standard application form for paid staff. It is a long and bureaucratic form, which is not very user friendly and therefore may put off potential recruits. The volunteer coordinator tried to mediate this issue by completing forms with new volunteers, but the situation is not ideal. The Council’s insistence that all volunteers be CRB checked also

20 created delays within the project, and was particularly problematic when recruiting for short-term projects such as exhibitions. A solution has been to establish a pool of event volunteers ready to help out when needed.

 Raising the profile: The success of The Harris Museum in developing its volunteering programme has been demonstrated through the achievement of a number of awards and accolades, all of which have raised the profile of the museum and the volunteers within it. For example: the volunteer programme was featured in a DCMS good practice guide; it was one of the first museums to gain a new quality accreditation mark for museums which places much more emphasis on customer focus and community engagement than previous awards – and the volunteer programme was useful in securing that award; and, another local organisation currently looking to introduce a volunteering programme has been looking at The Harris Museum as a model.

 Sustainability: Money for the volunteer coordinator post been secured for 2006/7 out of Museum under-spend; it has also been secured for 2007/2008 through the ‘Regional Hub’ for the North West. Ways of sustaining the post beyond these two years are currently being explored. Suggestions have included making the coordinator post a volunteer role, although strong arguments against this have been raised.

21 3. Considering the Grant This chapter draws together the learning from across all three museums in terms of the effectiveness of the funding programme.

3.1 What worked The size of the grants was relatively small; £15,000 over 18 months is unlikely to radically change the way in which an organisation works. For each of the museums, however, it was a significant source of funding and a considerable additional investment to their volunteering programmes. In each case it enabled an important step change in the relationship between the museums and their volunteers. In addition to the funding from the Baring Foundation, two of the museums were able to leverage in match funding and/or in-kind support, giving significant additionality to the programme.

The funding from Baring enabled all three museums to try something new in their volunteer involvement. None of the museums would have been in a position to undertake these ‘experiments’ without the funding from the Baring Foundation. The Harris Museum and Fairfax House would not otherwise have been able to recruit volunteer coordinators; the Egypt Centre would not have been able to purchase the tools (plasma screen and display cases etc) to enhance the engagement of volunteers in the museum. Although the nature and extent of impact made by the project on each of the three museums varied, in all three cases it had created some degree of change in the relationship between the museum and its volunteers.

The flexibility of approach adopted by the Baring Foundation in the delivery of this funding programme was valued by the museums, and enabled them to test out different models of working. This flexibility and the relatively broad criteria for inclusion in the programme encouraged innovation, rather than straight jacketing the museums into certain types of projects. This enabled the museums to think creatively about how they engaged their volunteers and how they could develop relationships with them. It was particularly important in terms of enabling each museum to build from ‘where they were’.

The personal approach that the Baring Foundation adopted with the museums in the programme was also valued. The Foundation had approached a number of museums in advance of the programme and the opportunity that this provided for the museums to shape the programme was welcomed. The continuation of this approach throughout the funding period was also welcomed. For example, Nicholas Baring visited all three museums and this was commented upon positively. On the whole, the museums also welcomed the hands-on approach of Baring Foundation through the regular contact of the evaluator.

22 3.2 Areas of learning It could be argued that establishing an 18-month limit for a funding programme that is designed to change relationships is inevitably going to create timescales issues. How much change is it realistic to expect to see within one and a half years? How sustainable will any developments be? Timing becomes particularly problematic when the project is reliant on the appointment of the member of staff to lead it, as the recruitment process inevitably eats into the project delivery time, and when the project represents a significantly new way of working for an organisation; this was the case in both The Harris Museum and Fairfax House. Timing issues were particularly problematic in The Harris Museum due to temporary closure of the museum for refurbishment during the project period. Although the end date for the project was extended in light of this development, it inevitably impacted on the overall success of the project.

Not unrelated to the issues of time; sustainability issues also emerged through the programme. Within the Egypt Centre, the project had been set up from the start with the aim of working towards sustainability. As it had not relied on the creation of paid staff positions and neither had it radically altered ways of working with volunteers in the museums it was easier to see how sustainability could be (and was being) ensured. The Harris Museum has successfully negotiated funding for the continuation of the volunteer coordinator for two additional years, ensuring the sustainability of the project in the short term at least. In Fairfax House, however, no additional funding had been identified and there was no apparent commitment to sustaining the volunteer coordinator post, which had been at the heart of the project. Two areas of learning can be considered here: firstly, that it is essential within short term funded programmes that organisations are encouraged to consider sustainability right from the start; secondly, that there could have been value in extending the programme for beyond the 18 months but with reduced levels of funding in the subsequent year(s). This may have enabled more time for the impact of the funding to be realised and commitment to their sustainability to be engendered within the organisations.

Early on in the programme a couple of the museums expressed an interest in sharing experience, knowledge and learning across the three participating institutions. This, it was felt, would bring a number of benefits to the individual museums and would help to cement them together as programme beneficiaries. Although steps were taken to enable cross-partner communication, this was favoured by some museums more than others making this museum-led approach more difficult. The Baring Foundation did facilitate a meeting of all three museums, themselves, and the research team at the end of the programme and this was reported on positively, but the programme could have benefited from bringing the museums together at beginning to initiative a network through which experiences could have been shared as the project progressed.

23 4. Conclusions: Developing Relationships The three museums used the Baring Foundation grant in different ways and to different ends. All three can be seen to have had considerable success at meeting the aims of their respective programmes. In all three cases the relationship between the museums and volunteers had strengthened, demonstrating the value of relatively small investments of grant funding. Some, however, can be seen to have had greater success than others in terms of creating a long-term, sustainable, shift in this relationship. All struggled to some extent with enhancing the diversity of involvement in their volunteer programme.

With just three museums involved it is hard to draw out the underlying factors that would influence whether or not a similar programme of project funding would be successful in enabling these relationships to develop in other museums. What does seem to be significant though is the culture of an organisation and the personalities within it. The history of volunteer involvement in an organisation is also significant. Investing in a volunteer coordinator can move an organisation on a long way in terms of its relationship with volunteers; but only if there is a will within the organisation to do so and an organisational culture which allows the role to develop appropriately. Equally for museums with well-developed volunteering programmes, there are steps that can be taken to effectively enhance the sense of ownership among volunteers and this can bring real benefits to both the volunteers and the organisation, but again this must be part of the overall organisational culture; it would be unlikely to succeed as a bolt on initiative in an organisation where the volunteering ethos was not at its core.

The organisational structures within which museums operate also affect the volunteer programmes and relationships between staff and volunteers. It is not possible to conclude from the three museums in this programme which structures best facilitate the development of effective relationships between museums and volunteers, but it was clear that ‘location’ is influential. For example, being based in a university provided the Egypt Centre with a relatively high degree of flexibility and enabled innovation; however, it also influenced who got involved as volunteers in the museum due to issues of image and access. Being owned by the local authority raised issues for The Harris Museum, where the over-riding bureaucracy and requirement for adherence to strict organisational procedures resulted in a lack of flexibility within the volunteer programme. For Fairfax House, the history and organisational ethos of the Civic Trust created issues, illustrated by the debate over whether volunteers should be known to the museum for a number of years before being able to get involved.

The old adage that ‘one size does not fit all’ was clearly demonstrated within this programme. Any attempts to develop volunteering programmes should be done in accordance to the starting point of each individual museum and its organisational culture. For example, there has been a general trend towards increasing formalisation of volunteer management with a general agreement that

24 ‘good practice’ involves creating relatively formalised, professional, volunteer support procedures but ensuring that these are delivered in an informal, flexible way. By any objective quality standards in volunteer management judged along these lines, it is unlikely that Fairfax House would score highly. However, the museum does seem to be getting it right in terms of what the existing volunteers want from their involvement. This reinforces the value of having a flexible funding programme which encourages organisations to build from where they are and to develop volunteer support mechanisms that are appropriate to their organisation.

25 References Holmes, K (1999) ‘Changing Times: Volunteering in the Heritage Sector 1984- 1998’ Voluntary Action 1(2):21-35

Holmes, K (2003) ‘Volunteers in the Heritage Sector: a neglected audience?’ International Journal of Heritage Studies 9(4):341-356

Institute for Volunteering Research (2002) Volunteers in the Cultural Sector. Unpublished report carried out on behalf of Resource.

Institute for Volunteering Research (2005a) Volunteers in Museums: Key Findings and Issues from the Literature, Report prepared for the Baring Foundation

Institute for Volunteering Research (2005b) Volunteering in Museums, Libraries and Archives, Unpublished report carried out on behalf of Museums, Libraries and Archives.

Scottish Museums Council (2002) A Collective Insight. Scotland’s National Audit. Edinburgh: Scottish Museums Council.

Scott, M; Klemm, M and Wilson N. (1993) Museum Sector Workforce Survey: An Analysis of the Workforce in the Museum, Gallery and Heritage Sector in the United Kingdom. Bradford: Museum Training Institute.

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