A ‘host’ of good reasons to volunteer

OTHER FEATURES INSIDE: VOLUNTEER London salutes its volunteers aboard HMS Belfast NEWSLETTER Sourcing resource s... Veteran volunteer still has plenty of ‘Zip’ at IWM North Joyce’s history lessons are helping us ISSUE 22 – WINTER 2013 Volunteers visit Chartwell to view Churchill’s family home Development of new volunteer interaction service for IWM London gets under way HERITAGE VOLUNTEER VOLUNTEER PROGRAMME NEWS SECTOR NEWS

WELCOME TO ISSUE 22 OF THE LONDON IWM VOLUNTEER NEWSLETTER SALUTES ITS By Jim Hutchinson VOLUNTEERS Volunteer Programme Manager, IWM’s London branches ABOARD HMS Twenty two issues of the IWM Volunteer published bi-annually since BELFAST 2002 adds up to reporting on some 11 years of IWM Volunteering! By Emma Davies, While projects have come and gone in this time, and IWM itself has Visitor Services Manager, Jewish continued to evolve dramatically across its five branches, one of the Museum London constants within this period has been the dedication, enthusiasm and high levels of support offered to us so freely by our growing The annual ‘London Volunteers in volunteer family. Museums Awards’ (LVMA) were staged on It has been a busy few months since our Summer issue hit HMS Belfast on Monday 28 October 2013 the shelves. Pilot testing of a new weekend volunteer visitor to recognise and celebrate the work of the orientation role has begun at Churchill War Rooms with some dedicated volunteers who support the capital’s very encouraging early results. HMS Belfast played host to the huge range of museums. Despite the poor fifth London Volunteers in Museums Awards during October weather and transport complications, about 120 which saw recognition for the efforts of short-term student brave guests were piped onto the ship and then and longer-term volunteers involved across our three treated to drinks, nibbles, a presentation ceremony London Branches. At IWM Duxford a new ‘Airfield Host’ and exclusive tours volunteer role has been introduced and at IWM North by HMS Belfast recruitment of the first wave of volunteers for the veterans. ‘Inspiring Futures’ programme has now been completed. With an estimated At IWM London the recruitment of an initial team of 9000 volunteers ‘Volunteer Mentors’ has begun, to support a much across London’s larger team of Interaction Volunteers who will be heritage sector, the working with our Learning Staff from summer 201 4 independent onwards to operate three new learning stations judges had their funded by the Clore Duffield Foundation. The work cut out trying work of the War Memorials Archive nationwide to select winners, volunteer team continues to generate new with participation material that can be shared with the public ranging from large HMS Belfast Conservation Manager Andy Curran (left) during the looming First World War nationals to smaller Centenary Year. with Warship Conservation Volunteer Mike Pipe and all volunteer their runner up certificate in the Best Team category At our last count, for the July to September operations. The 201 3 period, some 11 10 volunteers had competition was fierce, with over 60 individuals/teams nominated. collectively donated 4699 days of effort on This year’s winners were: behalf of IWM. As with earlier publications, Issue 22 offers insights into the Best Team – Exhibition Research Team – Handel House volunteers involved, and the volunteer Bringing Innovation – Steve Leppert and David Burnell – London projects across IWM branches where Transport Museum some of these days were donated. This issue again includes a mix of Going the Extra Mile – Victor Wyatt – Charles Dickens Museum articles focusing both on more Developing in a Role – Ricky Linsdell – Horniman Museum and Gardens recent programme developments Long Service – John Napier – Museum of the Order of St John and other more established parts of our volunteer scene. Special Youth award – Yasmin Riley – Jewish Museum Enjoy the read. Supporting Managing and Encouraging Others – Libby Finney – Museum of London

Cover: IWM Duxford Volunteer Airfield This year the Awards were organised by the London Heritage Volunteer Host Peter Damary-Homan in the Air Managers Network, and supported generously by a number of individuals and Traffic Control Tower at Duxford organisations from across the London museums and heritage sector. 2 IWM DUXFORD NEWS

A ‘HOST’ OF GOOD REASONS TO VOLUNTEER

By Paul Finch , Volunteer Airfield Host, IWM Duxford

Having only recently become a volunteer at IWM required to escort a survey team from the USAFE Duxford, it seems apt that the position is almost as airbase at RAF Mildenhall onto the runway so that new as I am. Having commenced in July this year, the they could evaluate the strength of the concrete role of Airfield Host is specifically targeted at members runway. It’s not all technical and safety matters of the public who quite literally ‘descend’ on the though! Helping elderly passengers disembark from museum. aircraft, and putting on aircraft covers are also part of the role. In principle, the role is that of a facilitator: to provide a helpful service to visiting pilots and their companions, When the airfield host isn’t as active on the ground, and to support the Flight Information Service Officer we give assistance to the FISO in the tower. (FISO) in the Air Traffic Control Tower. Needless to say, Currently (in my case at least) this is fairly limited, we are also there to support the resident pilots who due to my inexperience, and mainly includes fielding have their aircraft stationed at IWM Duxford, and to telephone enquiries. These range from ‘how much is assist members of the public who come through the the fuel today’, to ‘how strong is the wind today’ (to gates in a more typical manner! my, and his surprise, I initially answered in metres per second, which wasn’t very helpful!) On a usual day I will arrive at around ten in the morning, and make my way to the tower. The first port Overall, I would say that the airfield host role is of call is to pop up to the Control Room perched on extremely varied and very interesting. Apart from the the top of the tower, sign in and find out about any opportunity to be involved with an active and planned or expected activity happening on the airfield. historic airfield, it represents, for me, an opportunity to get into the world of aviation at an active level. Because the airfield is Prior Permission Required (PPR), I am sure, with all volunteers in general, it is anyone flying in must make contact with the tower to important to be doing something that is relevant to ensure they have permission to land. This gives the our outside interests, and I cannot thank the FISO an opportunity to inform the pilot of any special Volunteer Co-ordinator enough for pointing me in restrictions they may face, and limitations on where the right direction! It is also extremely rewarding to they can fly. This gives us an opportunity to tell them be part of something new and evolving. It will be very to avoid irritating the neighbours by not flying low over interesting to see where things go from here! residential areas. As a result the host has a rough indication of how busy we are likely to be, in terms of Airfield Host Volunteer Peter Damary-Homan fly ins, but there always seems to be something to be and Senior FISO Colin Smith in the air getting on with. traffic control tower at IWM Duxford Naturally, the second port of call is to make a coffee and find out if there are any other airfield-related jobs that the airfield management has lined up for me! In my brief experience, the work I and the other hosts do is very diverse. I was recently

3 HMS BELFAST NEWS

SOURCING RESOURCE S... By Richard Maddox , Ship Mate Volunteer, Interaction Team, HMS Belfast

‘Resource management’ is a phrase familiar in many A typical artefact is the ‘new’ coat for use on the organisations. It’s capable of reducing many to Compass Platform, a very popular interaction space tear s... hopefully this article won’t! with Interactions and visitors alike. Besides their interest in history, Interaction Volunteers This came by way of an internet search and the on HMS Belfast use a variety of IWM’s artefacts and intervention of Yeoman Cliff Willmott who knew the props to help explain life aboard to the ship’s many dealer concerned and collected the coat in person visitors. for us. Recently Jim Hutchinson asked me to assist in The coat, showing the rank of Lieutenant Commander, supplementing the material we already have to equip is already in use and supplements the other one new areas for interaction onboard. which has been withdrawn for repairs and will be used as a spare. Hunting them down took time and many letters – with few replies. Showing as it does buttons with King’s Crowns it appears to be of Second World War vintage and comes We visited a military equipment supplier on the South complete with cloth gorgette for keeping the neck Coast, liaised with the Wavy Navy (a Second World War warm in cold weather. re-enactment group) and climbed into the ship’s nether regions via small hatchways in our hunt. It came to the dealer from the family of an ex-Fleet Air Arm officer and so could have at least a distant Eventually we had our items. Then came the next bi t... connection with HMS Belfas t and the Supermarine writing new notes and revising the existing ones. Walrus aircraft that she operated in the early part of her This involved researching what exactly we’d got – career. everything from wheel spanners (for turning the There’s more material to come – including suggested handwheels you see in the passageways and activities in the same vein as those used at Cabinet War spaces throughout the ship easily) Rooms. And we have plans for reorganising the material to existing replica shells that might result in yet another interaction spot. and more. Once everything has been in use for a while we’ll be gathering feedback about what else could be adde d... and no doubt starting the process again!

The ‘new’ Lieutenant Commander’s greatcoat on the Compass Platform

4 IWM NORTH NEWS

VETERAN VOLUNTEER STILL HAS PLENTY OF ‘ZIP’ AT IWM NORTH By Gill Ashcroft , Volunteer Placement Assistant, IWM North

Frank Tolley, 92, is one of IWM North’s veteran volunteers. He became involved with IWM initially as part of the Veterans North group in 2006 and then joined the volunteer team in June 2009. Frank volunteers at the museum every Wednesday morning, sharing his wartime experiences with our visitors. He is very committed and reliable and always one of the first to offer when extra help is needed. He delivers object handling sessions on gallery and supports visitors on ‘Your History’, an area which allows visitors to research IWM collections online and signpost people researching their military and family history. Frank has also taken part in ‘Ask the Veteran’ sessions, school sessions, and worked with young people in film workshops as well as press interviews. Frank served in the RAF during the Second World War as a bomb aimer. While serving he was made to participate in the bombing of Dresden in 1945, something which still scars him today. However later that year, in April 1945 after the agreement of truce, Frank was part of Operation Manna which dropped food parcels into German occupied Holland, helping to save thousands of lives. In 2012, IWM nominated Frank for a British Empire Medal, an honour bestowed as part of the Queen’s honours list. In October, Frank was formally awarded the British Empire Medal for his contribution to his community and his dedicated volunteering at the museum. He received his award at a ceremony at Trafford Town Hall which I had the great pleasure of attending. Even more recently it is thought Frank has become the oldest person to zip slide from the top of IWM North’s Air Shard viewing platform landing at The Lowry!

Frank ‘in flight’ again at IWM North

5 IWM’S WAR MEMORIALS ARCHIVE NEWS

JOYCE’S HISTORY LESSONS ARE HELPING US Joyce Glassock , Office Support Volunteer, War Memorials Archive

I have been working in War Memorials Archive for the places have changed since the First World War, and also past few years and consider myself lucky to be involved to see the dress of the people like the local mayors as with such experienced colleagues, both volunteers and they stand by the memorials at unveiling ceremonies staff, and to work in such a friendly atmosphere. or gatherings. I find volunteering with War Memorials Archive is like going to a really interesting history Maybe people might not realise the amount of exact lesson each week. details that there are about war memorials, such as their location, maker and inscriptions. I find it rewarding to catalogue the information correctly out of respect to the people who have died in various wars. Joyce in action during one of her recent Recently, I have been working on listing the Carter volunteering Postcard Collection of First World War memorials and days associating them with our War Memorials Archive online records. The cards date from the 1920s and 30s and show war memorials in villages and towns around the UK. It is interesting to see just how much some of these

6 Chartwell, the former family CHURCHILL WAR ROOMS NEWS home of Sir Winston Churchill

VOLUNTEERS VISIT CHARTWELL TO VIEW CHURCHILL’S FAMILY HOME By Jim Hutchinson , Volunteer Programme Manager, IWM’s London branches

On Tuesday 5 November around 35 IWM Volunteers and supporting Reactions staff from across our three London Branches enjoyed a behind-the- from those volunteers scenes tour of Chartwell, the former home of Sir Winston Churchill. who took part in the visit were extremely positive: Chartwell was the much-loved Churchill family home and the place from which Sir Winston drew inspiration from 1924 until ‘Hi Jim. Just a quick note to say thank you for the end of his life. The rooms remain much as they were when another great day out! It was a superb visit and he lived here, with pictures, books and personal mementoes I thoroughly enjoyed it. Thanks agai n... ’ evoking the career and wide-ranging interests of a great Richard Hall , Warship Conservation Volunteer, statesman, writer, painter and family man. The hillside HMS Belfast gardens reflect Churchill’s love of the landscape and nature. They include the lakes he created, Lady Churchill’s rose ‘Just to say ‘Many Thanks’ for organising yesterday’s trip to Chartwell. The guided tours were excellent – so much garden, the kitchen garden and the Marycot, a playhouse better than wandering round by yourself. I look forward to created especially for the youngest Churchill daughter. seeing the group phot o... ’ Chartwell is currently operated by the National Trust Pat Barber , Office Support Volunteer, and our visit on 5 November was hosted by Wayne War Memorials Archive Thornton the Volunteer Development Officer for Chartwell, Emmetts Gardens and Quebec House, and ‘Dear Jim. Just to thank you for arranging an excellent day out yesterday, I thoroughly enjoyed it, being my first visit to two of his volunteer house guides. After tea and Chartwell, and felt very privileged to have the special tour coffee on arrival in the Chartwell Restaurant, (including Winston’s bedroom and sunken bath!). Lunch was good Wayne and his team offered us an introduction to and it was nice to meet the other volunteers. Best wishe s... ’ Chartwell before we embarked on a tour of the Sue Morris , IWM Friends Support Volunteer site, taking in some sections behind the scenes that visitors do not normally get to view. ‘This was a fascinating visit. The house was closed for the winter After lunch we had the opportunity both to so we had it to ourselves – a rare treat – and we were shown view the gardens and sit in on a session Churchill’s bedroom, which is not on the public tour. As an interaction focusing on Churchill as team volunteer for the IWM, I was particularly interested to see the an artist. Chartwell volunteers in action. They acted as guides, taking us into each room and talking about it. A very different role from most IWM volunteering posts – but I felt their enthusiasm for their subject, and the way it made me TOUR feel welcome and engaged, is relevant to what many of us do. Thanks for GUIDES GET organising this – I really enjoyed myself and learned a lot !... ’ Lowri Daniels , Interaction Team Volunteer, INVOLVED TO TEST Churchill War Rooms OUT NEW SERVICE FOR & HMS Belfast CHURCHILL WAR ROOMS VISITORS Currently only Group Visitors to Churchill War Rooms have the opportunity to participate in a pre-visit orientation briefing and introductory film show within the Groups Entrance Area at the branch. This service is led by members of the VSA Staff Team. At weekends, however, the number of groups using this service is generally lower leaving the space and orientation film show largely unutilised. Capitalising on this opportunity we have recently begun pilot testing an orientation briefing service for general visitors to the branch at weekends using three members of our Volunteer Tour Guides Team from IWM London who are currently involved in other volunteer duties while the branch continues its development of the new display galleries. The new service was reviewed during December and it has now been decided to continue with this role in the longer term. Churchill War Rooms Orientation Briefings Volunteer Tom Wilkie’s early reactions are: “I feel that it has gone well, that it has added something not previously available e.g. the personal touch which, as far as I can gauge, has been appreciated by the visitors we have seen. Certainly the comments we have received have all been very positive. It seems to fit in well to the volunteer role...” 7 Interaction Team Volunteers Daniel Plotkin and Paul Treacy get the chance to work with some First World War documents IWM LONDON NEWS during the first Mentors Selection Session on 20 November

DEVELOPMENT OF NEW VOLUNTEER INTERACTION SERVICE FOR IWM LONDON GETS UNDER WAY By Jim Hutchinson , Volunteer Programme Manager, IWM’s London branches

As one part of the redevelopment of IWM London, Rogers, our Informal Learning Manager. In support of funding has been obtained from the Clore Duffield Grant I have recently been working with him to recruit an Foundation to construct and equip three new ‘Learning initial team of eight or nine ‘Volunteer Mentors’ from our Stations’, one for each of the three main levels of current Interaction Volunteers Team who will be trained exhibitions once IWM London reopens fully in summer up during the Spring to assist with the induction and 201 4. Once in service it is planned that these new units support of the much bigger team of volunteers it is will be operated by a combination of London Branches anticipated it will take to keep all three Learning Stations Learning Staff and volunteers from within our running on every Sunday that the museum is open. To Interaction Team which is already active at Churchill War this end two information and screening sessions were Rooms and on HMS Belfast . held at IWM London on 20 November and 1 December. We look forward to working with those Volunteer The overall development and direction of this new Mentors selected to jointly roll out this exciting new interaction service at IWM London will be led by Grant service for visitors during 201 4! JILL’S ‘LONG SERVICE’ CONTRIBUTION IS RECOGNISED By Vikki Thompson , Head of IWM Friends

Jill Hicks was successfully nominated in this year’s London Volunteers in Museums Awards (see page 2) and was one of only two ‘Highly Commended’ entrants in the Long Service Category. The following are extracts from Jill’s citation that was included in the awards night booklet: “ Jill Hicks started volunteering for the Friends in 1996 as part of a team who would act as mailing house to insert the Friends magazine into envelopes and post it out to our members three times a year. Jill, who turned 81 in January, continues to volunteer for the Friends on a very regular basis. Jill helps with Friends events – Jill receives her ‘Highly Commended’ in particular our AGM which is the largest event in our calendar with some 150 Certificate from CWR & HMS Belfast Director attendee s... As well as ensuring that the operational elements of the AGM and Phil Reed on 28 October 2 013 lecture go smoothly Jill then volunteers to run the bar after the event – no mean feat when there are 150 peopl e... Jill was also one of the first to volunteer to run our Friends Membership Desk when it was established at IWM London four years ago. In that time it has grown to a team of over 30 volunteers who have collectively promoted Friends membership to over 17000 visitors and have signed up more than 400 new members. Jill has been a key member of this team and is a part of the Friends Desk volunteer working group which helps to oversee its operation. Jill is a kind, generous and conscientious volunteer and a great asset to our team. VOLUNTEER As well as a willingness to support us in all our endeavours – ‘SITUATIONS even sometimes at short notice – what Jill brings is 21 VACANT’ WITHIN IWM! years experience as a member and 17 years experience as a Friends volunteer. At all of our IWM branches capacity for new volunteers can vary as Her contribution really is training programmes and operational/development projects start and finish. invaluable...” For the latest on current openings for volunteers please contact the Volunteer Programme Managers recruiting for the branch or project that you wish to join. These are:

IWM Duxford : Nicola Hughes, Volunteer IWM North : Danielle Garcia, Volunteer Co-ordinator on 0 1223 499 357. Programme Manager on 016 1 836 4080. IWM’s London branches : Jim Hutchinson, Volunteer IWM War Memorials Archive Project Fieldworker Programme Manager on 0207 940 6345. Volunteers : Frances Casey, Project Manager on 0207 207 9851. 8