VOLUNTEER APPLICATION PACK MIDDLEPORT & HARPER STREET

LIVING, BREATHING HERITAGE VOLUNTEER APPLICATION PACK

HELLO Thank you for enquiring about becoming a volunteer with Re-Form Heritage. The role of the volunteer is essential to the sustainable future and ongoing success of Middleport Pottery and Harper Street.

We value our volunteers without diversity of communities they whose freely given time and effort volunteer in and have the right to we could not operate as effectively volunteer in an environment which If you have any further questions, and efficiently. Volunteers help to is free from discrimination. you can contact us on 01782 enhance and enrich our visitors We hope that the enclosed 499766 or by emailing info@re- experience and provide valuable information is both useful and form.org support for the whole site. informative. If you would like the Once your application has been Re-Form Heritage is committed to opportunity to volunteer with us received we will be in touch with you providing equality of opportunity simply complete the enclosed soon to discuss your application. to all persons and believe that application form and return it volunteers should reflect the to us. Thank you.

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ABOUT RE-FORM HERITAGE Re-Form Heritage is a registered charity which specialises in revitalising communities through the regeneration of their historic buildings. We restore heritage buildings at risk of decay and demolition where the resurgence of an existing use, or the introduction of a new use, will have beneficial effect on the local community.

Re-Form Heritage owns and manages Middleport the renovation of eleven Victorian terraced houses Pottery in , Stoke-on-Trent. Middleport Pottery adjacent to Middleport Pottery. The project will see the was built by Burgess and Leigh in the late nineteenth transformation of these original workers’ houses into century and is the home of Burleigh pottery. It is the a new heritage attraction, studio & workshop space, oldest working pottery in continuous production in publicly accessible archive and community centre for the United Kingdom. The pottery was acquired by the Middleport’s residents. The project significantly grows charity in 2011 through a mixture of public and private Middleport Pottery and Burslem’s reputation as a major funding and was fully restored and opened to the public visitor heritage destination. in 2014. Re-Form Heritage also owns and manages the Grade The business developed by Re-Form Heritage ensures I listed building, the Old Duchy Palace in Lostwithiel, the long-term sustainability of the site, which, in Cornwall. Over 700 years old, it once formed part of a addition to the production of the Burleigh pottery much larger complex central to the management of range, encompasses heritage and craft operations, the Duchy of Cornwall and the country’s tin industry. including a visitor centre, Tea Room, and other activities. Following a sensitive restoration, the building was Middleport Pottery is a model for future regeneration opened by their Royal Highnesses the Duke and Duchess and preservation projects, having a significant of Cornwall. Re-Form Heritage’s project partner, the and beneficial impact on the local community. A Cornwall Buildings Preservation Trust, oversees the recent addition to the charity is Harper Street. The day-to-day operation of the building, which houses an Harper Street: Engagement in Heritage project is independent business.

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MIDDLEPORT POTTERY A SHORT HISTORY In 1851 Messrs Hulme and Booth established an earthenware business at the Central Pottery in the heart of Burslem. In 1862 William Leigh and Frederick Rathbone Burgess took over Central Pottery calling their new business partnership Burgess & Leigh. Eventually the founders’ names would be combined to form the brand name Burleigh.

The mainstay of their production was utility, toilet wares incorporated into the line of production, was designed and dinnerware. Later they developed a more complex to minimise the distance travelled between each range of tableware with intricate patterns in their process. This was an attempt to partially mechanise an characteristic underglaze tissue transfer print. essentially handmade craft.

As production increased rapidly Burgess & Leigh needed Middleport Pottery had three biscuit ovens (used first to more space and moved to Hill Pottery in 1868. Two fire the pottery) and four glost ovens (used to fire the decades later they moved again, this time to their pottery after it had been glazed). It was therefore known state-of-the-art, purpose-built site beside the Trent and as the ‘Seven Oven Works’. Today only one biscuit oven Mersey canal at Middleport in 1889. The new Middleport survives. Pottery was the vision of William Leigh who sadly died Local architect Absalom Reade Wood designed the same year, shortly before it was completed. Middleport Pottery, and nearly all the machinery was Middleport Pottery was described as the ‘Model Pottery provided by local engineer William Boulton. The same of the Staffordshire pottery industry’ when it was first firms of architects and engineers worked over the years built. It was designed to make all production processes with Burgess & Leigh’s staff to adapt the fabric of the more efficient and to improve conditions for the factory to introduce new machinery and processes as workforce. technology developed and production increased.

The layout of the buildings, in parallel ranges with ovens Following difficult conditions in the 1990s, the Dorling

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family purchased the business A solution was found through a site package comprising public and and became Burgess, Dorling and purchase and regeneration plan private support. Upon completion, Leigh. Trading during this time was undertaken by the United Kingdom Middleport Pottery was opened to challenging and investment into the Historic Building Preservation Trust the public in 2014 and the site was upkeep of the site was becoming (the Prince’s Regeneration Trust removed from the Heritage at Risk an increasing priority. In 1998, heritage regeneration subsidiary Register. Middleport Pottery was included company). This regeneration would Burleigh pottery is still made on on the Historic England Heritage at not have been possible without the site in much the same handcrafted Risk Register. encouragement and endorsement way as it was in 1889. In December of HRH The Prince of Wales. From approximately 2008 onwards, 2016, the United Kingdom Historic national heritage organisations In 2010 the Burleigh pottery Building Preservation Trust was were raising significant concerns business was bought by Denby formally separated from the about the condition of the Holdings Ltd, who remain the Prince’s Regeneration Trust. Middleport Pottery buildings. current owners. Through the HRH The Prince of Wales became Solutions to enable investment into United Kingdom Historic Building the Founding Patron of the the site were sought as Middleport Preservation Trust regeneration United Kingdom Historic Building Pottery was at serious risk of closure plan, £9 million was invested to Preservation Trust, which was because of the site’s very poor state regenerate and revitalise Middleport renamed Re-Form Heritage in late of repair. Pottery through a complex funding 2019.

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VOLUNTEERING OPPORTUNITIES To support the vision of Re-Form Heritage the charity envisages the following roles for volunteers at Middleport Pottery and Harper Street.

• Administration Volunteers: • Heritage Site Guides: Volunteers • Retail Volunteers: Retail Volunteer support helps in the heritage areas provide volunteers welcome customers with communications and the option of a guided tour, or and support the upkeep of the administration in the office someone on hand to answer Middleport Pottery retail area. working alongside paid staff. questions for visitors doing a self- • Steam Team Volunteer: The led tour to offer interpretation • Dane Crew Volunteer: The crew steam team look after and run and additional content. support staff with the regular the 1889 William Boulton steam maintenance of the boat as well • Learning Team Volunteer: engine and boiler and run and as day trips and events on board. Complementary to paid staff, support events when the steam volunteers help deliver a engine is in full steam. • Event and Site Support structured and expanding Volunteer: Event and Site • Individual and Temporary education programme on site and Support Volunteers work Volunteering Projects: From within the community. alongside event staff to provide time to time, we may look to a safe, structured event and to • Middleport Pottery Collection engage particular individuals with ensure that the site looks its best. Volunteer: Volunteers are a specific niche skills and expertise key element of support with to work on defined projects. • Factory Tour Guides: Guided collections management and This could involve individual tours of the factory involve digitisation and the ongoing engagement for a limited period taking groups through the work in increasing access to the to complete a specific task. working factory explaining and collection for researchers and interpreting the process, whilst members of the public. ensuring safety and minimising production disruption.

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APPLICATION PROCESS:

1. Register an interest with Re-Form Heritage regarding volunteering at Middleport Pottery and Harper Street.

2. A Volunteer Application Pack is sent out.

3. Meeting arranged to: - Discuss roles and logistics of volunteering - Take a site walk - Introduction to on duty volunteers - Complete application form

4. Attend an informal interview. A reference will be requested from the nominated person.

5. Arrange the first day for volunteering and complete 6. All volunteers are subject to a DBS check and will Volunteers induction which includes the following: complete safeguarding training. - Be given lanyard with name card 7. Additional notes and support to be given during - Site induction – Health & Safety, expenses etc training. As far as possible new volunteers will be - Be given a volunteer handbook and role description put on to the rota with an experienced volunteer. A - Sign Volunteer Terms and Confidentiality Agreement meeting will be arranged one month after the first - Go on first heritage tour (with volunteer if available) volunteering day to check how things are going. - Be given information on the history of Middleport Pottery and Burleigh plus any relevant information 8. Regular volunteers’ meetings are held to keep for role chosen volunteers up to date with activities and events - Agree volunteering availability on site and to discuss other matters regarding - Assign a mentor volunteering at Middleport Pottery and Harper - Complete the volunteer information sheet Street.

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Middleport Pottery Tel: 01782 499766 Port Street, Email: [email protected] Burslem, Stoke-on-Trent, Website: https://re-form.org/ ST6 3PE middleportpottery/information LIVING, BREATHING HERITAGE