Volunteer: Kate Wood

When were you a museum volunteer?

From July 2007 until 2009 (still ongoing occasionally).

Where did you volunteer?

Museum of the Manchester Regiment.

What inspired you to become a volunteer?

I was taking a Museum Management Master’s degree and had helped at a textile conservation studio and wanted to broaden my experience, so I volunteered at the Museum of the Manchester Regiment.

What did you do as a museum volunteer?

A very wide range of tasks including:

Labelling and documentation of the handling collection and some of the main collection, which included writing descriptions of the objects and allocating each with their individual number then making and sewing in numbered labels where possible or marking with their number using appropriate conservation techniques in the form of Paraloid B52 following the proper guidelines.

Helping to clean and re-organise some of the main exhibition space, in the form of three display cases. These cases were emptied of their contents and cleaned. The objects were also cleaned and some replaced back into the display with new objects and information. One of the cases was completely changed to show the conservation undertaken within the museum.

Information on the Manchester Regiment’s Japanese prisoners of war from the Second World War needed collating and a data base to hold the details. I created an appropriate data base and input some of the data. I had never really used a data base before never mind created one.

New display cases which were more suitable to house silver were built and I helped with the conservation cleaning of the silver collection before it was re-housed.

It was felt the museum needed a family-friendly trail for people to enjoy during their visit to the Museum. After a meeting with the curator and educational manager where ideas were formalized I set about organising, writing and designing the ‘Bootsy Museum Trail’ which is now available in the museum and on-line. I took several rough drafts and dozens of questions whittled down to just a few but was excellent experience again in something I had never done and to see it slowly taking shape and evolving.

After a day’s training I made bespoke hat supports for a few of the hats, caps and helmets on display, and I also put a guide together of how to make them for other staff and volunteers.

What training and support did you get as a museum volunteer?

I received brilliant support and training from all the staff including a training day organised by the MLA on marking and labelling which was very useful and appropriate. As mentioned above training day was organised to which I was invited, to learn from a visiting conservator how to make suitable supports for headwear on display in order to help conserve them. I was also given guidance on creating data bases and cleaning silver.

What skills and experiences did you gain as a volunteer?

The list is endless but includes documentation, labelling and numbering, conservation skills, IT skills, and personal and communication skills. It also helped to improve my self confidence.

What would you say to others thinking of becoming a museum volunteer?

If you love heritage and museums find a good museum team and go for it. A tremendous experience that reinforced my passion for the sector.

What was the best thing about being a museum volunteer?

I was asked to attempt a wide variety of very different tasks from which I gained a range of skills and experience as well as a better understanding of how museums run. Personally I made some lovely friends and a greatly improved self confidence.

What was the worst thing about being a museum volunteer?

Sore fingers sewing through military clothing!!