Read the full June Newsletter from South West Museum Development.

This month we are celebrating Volunteers’ Week by launching our fantastic range of new volunteering resources!

According to our Annual Museum Survey 2021, 42% of museums in the South West are wholly volunteer run, and many more rely on volunteers to operate. Our new resources – which cover a variety of important topics, including reviewing current volunteer offers, recruiting new volunteers, and embedding Equality, Diversity & Inclusion into volunteer processes – will help museums to continue to offer volunteer opportunities that are engaging and relevant to a wide range of people in the region.

The resources emerged from our National Lottery Heritage Fund and Arts Council England-supported project – Rebuilding the Foundations: Gloucestershire’s Museums. The resources are designed to help museums to review their working practices and plan future opportunities that are relevant to a broader range of volunteers, leading to increased engagement and diversity in their audiences.

This month, we also share news about Arts Council England’s phased reopening of the Accreditation scheme. After prioritising applications already in progress, they are now opening the programme to first time applicants, applicants who are Working Towards Accreditation or those applying after a period of non-participation. They have also now published an interim returns schedule which covers the expected rollout until December 2023. If you have any questions please contact Alex Gibson, Technical Accreditation Advisor at South West Museum Development at [email protected].

There’s an opportunity to join our Strategic Advisory Group, plus an invitation to register for our Accreditation Forum and Copyright Forum, which will be taking place later this month. It’s also your last opportunity to apply for one of our Small Grants. The deadline for applications is Monday 13 June 2022.

Finally, we have our usual selection of tips and tricks from our Specialist Officers, including how to collect data for audience development and the best ways to record the movement of objects in your collections. Plus, you’ll find a round-up of wider sector news and funding opportunities to support you this month.

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