Helpdesk

Iplicit

FuseMetrix

Planday

My ePayWindow

Intranet

Author: IT Team

  • Join the ‘Visitor Manifesto’ Working Group

    We would like to create a working group of staff from across all Museum teams to review the draft Visitor Manifesto and consider how we can train and support staff and volunteers to understand and implement it in their roles. It will involve two workshop sessions of up to two hours. We would like you to join this working group to help us deliver the best visitor experience possible. We are limiting places to two staff members per team and two volunteers from across the Museum. If you are interested in getting involved please let HR know by 17 July.

    Delivering a compelling visitor experience, day-in-day-out, is the most critical and challenging thing the Museum does. It goes to the heart of what we are here for, and it is essential to our success, financial sustainability and continued growth.

    The drafted visitor manifesto sets out what all of us, staff and volunteers, can do to provide an outstanding visitor offer and deepen relationships between visitors and the Museum.

     

  • BCLM: Forging Ahead – watch us on ITV and BBC!

    BCLM: Forging Ahead – watch us on ITV and BBC!

    UPDATE: If you missed us on ITV Central and Midlands Today, see below.

     

     

    The original announcement on 14 June below:

     

    I’m pleased to say that tomorrow (Thursday 15 June) we will be making a public announcement about our recent Round One Heritage Lottery Funding success.

    We are hoping that the media will be as excited as we are about this important stage in our BCLM: Forging Ahead project and in the future of the Museum. So keep a lookout over the next few days in your local press, on local radio and hopefully on TV as we share this big news!

    In the meantime, here’s a sneak peek at the video that we’ll be sending out with the press release and using on our social media channels.

     

    Thank you for your patience and confidentiality over the last few weeks – just one more day to go!

     

    Laura Wakelin

    Deputy Chief Executive (Communications & Marketing)

  • Development opportunity – funded trip to Kentwell for two demonstrators

    As part of the HLF round 2 work, the VE team are planning visits to other sites where they feel there is the opportunity to learn and share experience.

    What is required?

    Although a different a time period to the Museum the demonstrator techniques and the challenges of engaging the visitor remain the same. Specifically, the visit will be during the week-long ‘Tudor Hugh Summer’ event (Mon 21 Aug – Mon 28 Aug). There you’ll see some 200+ costumed Tudors in action, in first person, running stations as diverse as forge, foundry, cottages, stables, potters, stillroom, butts, alchemists, dairy and bacchus and the ever popular kitchen of the great house, feeding the gentry who reside there.

    You’ll be needed to observe this from a demonstrator’s point of view, feeding back a written report on your learnings will also be required.

    Where?

    Kentwell Hall is a stately home in Long Melford, Suffolk, England. It includes the hall, outbuildings, a rare-breeds farm and gardens. Most of the current building facade dates from the mid-16th century, but the origins of Kentwell are much earlier, with references in the Domesday Book of 1086! In recent years it has annually been the scene of Tudor period historical re-enactments.

    When?

    Thursday 24 August – travelling down the day before and staying nearby overnight. This will all be funded by the Museum.

    How do I apply?

    Applications are invited from anyone with a permanent or casual VE contract. Please fill out this short form here: Kentwell application 2017

    The deadline for a completed application is noon on Friday 30 June.

  • UPDATE: We have a winner for DCT Real Ale Festival Tickets

    UPDATE: We have a winner for DCT Real Ale Festival Tickets

    Dudley Canal Trust have kindly provided the Museum with 2 complimentary tickets for their Real Ale Festival which is taking place between 28 June and 1 July, including 2 free drinks!

    To be in with a chance of winning this pair of tickets, please send your name and contact details to [email protected] or pop up to see us in Rolfe St and let either Carmel or Michaela have these details by 5pm on Thursday 22 June.

    Names will then be selected randomly and the winner announced on the intranet.

    Best of luck!

    Update 23/06/2017:

    Natalie Banks from our Bookings team has been drawn as the winner of the 2 complementary tickets and 2 free drinks per person for the Dudley Canal Trust Real Ale and Cider Festival taking place between 28 June and 1 July 2017.

    Have fun Natalie!

  • Carers Day – Sun 11 Jun

    A carers event will be taking place at the Museum on Sun 11 Jun (10:30am – 3:30pm) to celebrate Carers Week.

    The aim of the day is to celebrate people that provide unpaid care and support to a loved one, relative, friend or neighbour.

    Activities include: performance by DYnamics Rock & Pop Choir; traditional rag rugging workshop sessions; and a carers information market in the main visitor reception.

    All activities are free of charge, however normal admission prices will apply if visitors wish to visit the Museum.

    One essential carer can go free when accompanying the person they are caring for.

    Advance booking is essential.

    Visitors are being asked to contact Dudley Carers Network on 01384 818723 for more information.

    If you would like more information about Carers Day please contact Glenis Williams.

  • Life’s a Beach – Black Country Touring Performance

    Black Country Touring will be rehearsing and performing a new show at the Museum this month. The new show will be launched at the So Festival in Skegness in July 2017 and will draw on stories of seasonal visitors and year round residents. The show will be performed in three specially created caravans.

    The Museum are hosting Black Country Touring for their rehearsal period (Mon 5 Jun – Thu 29 Jun) in the compound behind Old Birmingham Road and they will be hold two preview days on Sat 24 & Sun 25 June for visitors and VIPs.

    Admission Details

    Normal entry charges apply for visitors. Actors, support crew and VIPs for the performance will sign in at Reception.

    Car/Coach Parking

    Main Car Park Available. Parking charge on Main Car Park applies for visitors, actors, support crew and VIPs will be provided with tokens at Reception.

    Rehearsal Period

    Staff and volunteers are welcome to visit the caravans during rehearsal and speak to Black Country Touring about the project.

    Black Country Touring will be using the rooms above Doos for breaks as well as storing a limited amount of costume in the costume room.

    Performance

    There will be a series of performances on 24 & 25 June. The caravans will be moved to the Limekilns at the  back of the WI and visitors will be encouraged to drop in and experience the show.

    Black Country Touring will invite a limited number of VIPs to the preview.

    There will be BSL Interpreters available on Sunday 25 June.

     

    Food & Drink Offer

    Ice Cream near the WI for the 24 & 25 June to link to the performances.

  • Staff Consultative Forum – 6 June

    Staff consultative forum will take place on Tuesday 6 June where your representative Josefine Frank will bring up any issues that you may have.

    These meetings are designed to give you a chance to be listened to as well as have your say on a range of topics. If you’ve got any suggestions, please put them to Josefine in advance. These could centre around making things run a little bit better, asking for clarification on a certain topic or just suggestions for improving your work environment.

     

     

  • Update: work exchange at the British Museum

    Update 26 Jun: applicants have now been selected.

    Sara Orlandi, Gifts & Donor Support Manager at the British Museum will be joining the Development Team in September to find out more about our membership recruitment and looking at what processes are in place around this. She’ll also be sharing what the British Museum do and her experiences there with us.

    Abby Bird will be joining the Digital & Communications Team at the British Museum to explore how we can better make use of our CRM as well as take part in general knowledge exchange around social media and other digital trends. In return she will share how we use our CRM, and provide insight into the overall marketing strategy.

    If you’ve ever fancied going behind the scenes at the UK’s most popular attraction (6.42m in 2017), now is your chance!

    We’re delighted to announce that the Museum has been selected as on of the partners in the British Museum’s Knowledge Exchange Programme for 2017. Knowledge Exchange offers the opportunity of a fully funded and co-ordinated five day professional exchange between paid staff, in any role, at selected partner museums and the British Museum. The British Museum will take on one employee from each of its partner museums, and as part of the scheme pays for all travel, accommodation and subsistence costs associated with the exchanges.

    The programme is part of the wide-ranging National Programmes at the British Museum, which partners with around 250 UK organisations a year through single-object spotlight tours, touring exhibitions, partnership galleries, loans and skills development initiatives. The exchanges are organised by the UK Partnerships Co-ordinator at the British Museum and are made possible by the generous support of the Vivmar Foundation.

    “My experience during my exchange at the British Museum exceeded my expectations and hopes. I returned to my museum not only with new ideas and insights but also with increased confidence in what we already offer at our museum and a fresh inspiration to adapt and develop our activity” – Knowledge Exchange participant, 2016

    Each exchange is unique and it is created based on the selected participants’ application form. Please not that unfortunately, this exchange is not available for volunteers.

    How do I apply?

    In order to apply, please review the structure of the British Museum and complete the below application form by 5pm on 12 May 2017 and return to [email protected]. Applications will then be sent to the British Museum who will select a candidate for whom they can best meet the requirements and expectations of the placement. Please discuss any applications with your line manager beforehand, ensuring that you have approval before submission.

    Apply now: Knowledge Exchange Application form 2017

  • One minute silence being held this morning

    We will be observing a one minute silence at 11am today (Thu 25 May) following the terrorist attack in Manchester earlier this week.

    Please can you make other colleagues aware of this.

    A note is being added to the What’s On board in reception so that visitors are aware.

     

  • Peaky Blinders Series 4 Filming at BCLM

    Peaky Blinders Series 4 Filming at BCLM

    Many thanks for your co-operation during the Stan & Ollie filming last week – we’ve had a lovely follow-up email from the location manager of that project thanking us for our enthusiasm and helpfulness.

    We now turn our attention to Peaky Blinders series 4 which begins on site set-up in the Boat Dock area tomorrow, Wednesday 17 May from 0700.

    What does this mean for you?

    There will be little disruption for staff from Wednesday 17 May to Sunday 21 May. The unit base will be arriving in the LH side section of our main car park on the evening of Sunday 21 May so please can I ask that from the morning of Monday 22 May through to Saturday 27 May, all staff park in the main area of the car park as close to the railings as possible?

    The filming should have no impact on staff accessing offices in the village and any staff usually stationed in the Boat Dock area have been rota’d elsewhere during the filming days.

    What does this mean for our visitors?

    Whilst set-up is taking place between Wednesday 17 & Friday 19 May, there will be limited disruption to our visitors who can continue to access the Boat Dock area.

    The Boat Dock area will then be accessible as normal during Saturday 20 May (daytime and evening) and Sunday 21 May until 1400 when the path to Canalside and access over the lifting bridge will be closed off so that cables can start to be laid. There will be posters in Admissions to communicate this and BCLM filming staff will be present at all times during set-up.

    During Filming from Monday 22 to Friday 26 May, the Boat Dock area will be closed to our visitors from the Canalside Bridge and from the bottom of Station Road.  There will be plenty of BCLM filming staff working with the film crew to control visitor flow during these days and to explain why the Boat Dock is closed to visitors. There will also be A Boards placed in Admissions to communicate the closure to our visitors.

    Chainmaking will not be demonstrated in the usual location during filming; but instead will be demonstrated in the lady chainmakers’ forge behind the Anchor Makers’ House (on Tues, Wed and Fri during filming).

    Similarly, Stour will be moved to a position in front of the limekilns so that School groups (and visitors) can still access one of our boats during their visit.

    What does this mean for the Museum?

    Filming like this supports three of the Museum’s strategic aims as set out in our strategic plan 2015-20. It helps diversify and generate income, achieve national exposure and in the longer-term, helps us to continue to grow our visitor numbers. Your support in this work is therefore, much appreciated.

    What do you need to do?

    Please focus on keeping the impact of the filming to a minimum for our visitors for the duration of set-up and filming.  We do need to keep the nature of the filming confidential in this instance; if you should be approached about it, please say that it is a period drama and if any of our visitors want to know more or are unhappy about the filming, please point them in the direction of the Duty Manager.