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  • Mental Health Awareness

    Mental Health Awareness

    As part of Mental Health Awareness Month and our ongoing commitment to Health & Wellbeing, we are able to offer support through Health 2 employment, in partnership with Able Futures, who are offering virtual or phone one-to-one consultation slots throughout May.

    These sessions are open to all colleagues who would like to learn more about the support available or discuss their mental health needs in confidence. The service is designed to help individuals have more good days than bad days by offering practical mental health support at no cost.

    Who Can Access the Service?

    You’re eligible if you:

    • Are aged 16 or over

    • Are employed or self-employed

    • Live in England, Wales, or Scotland

    • Experience a mental health issue (including self-diagnosed)

    Book a Consultation
    To arrange a free and confidential consultation, please follow the link below: 👉 Access to Work (Mental Health) – Book an Appointment — Health 2 Employment

    Feel free to share this with friends, family, or colleagues who might benefit.

  • Board Update: Chair Transition and New Trustee Appointments

    Board Update: Chair Transition and New Trustee Appointments

    Dr Paul Belford retired as Chair and Trustee of the Museum Board at the end of April. Paul had served on the Board since March 2014 and took on the role of Chair in December 2020. He has stepped down to focus on his growing freelance archaeology consultancy, which now includes an increasing amount of international work. We thank Paul for his many years of thoughtful leadership and service to the Museum.

    At its meeting on 24 April, the Board approved the appointment of Duncan Bedhall as Interim Chair. Duncan joined the Board in January 2018 and has chaired the Museum Enterprises Company since April 2021 — a role he will continue to hold. He is also a member of the Museum’s Financial Performance Scrutiny Committee.

    The Board has engaged Saxton Bampfylde, a leading executive search and leadership consultancy, to support the recruitment of a new Chair. Their extensive networks and sector expertise will help ensure we attract a wide and diverse field of high-calibre candidates. This search is a significant strategic priority for the Museum, and several of our current and incoming Trustees will be closely involved in the process. We aim to make an appointment by the end of July.

    Following an open recruitment process, we are pleased to announce that six new Trustees will join the Museum Board this year. Hasan Afzal, Dileep Marway, and Caroline Southall will begin their terms in June. Nicky Guy will join in August, and Emma Norris and Janet Chapman in October. We look forward to welcoming them and to the experience and insight they will bring. You’ll be able to learn more about our new trustees on our Board page online as they join the team.

    As part of a broader commitment to transparency and engagement, the Board is also looking at ways to create more opportunities for staff to present directly at Board and Committee meetings. This will help ensure a broader range of voices are heard in strategic discussions.

  • 1960s Weekend – Programme overview

    1960s Weekend – Programme overview

    Date and times:
    Evening: Saturday 17 May (7pm – 10.30pm)
    Daytime: Saturday 17 May – Sunday 18 May (10am – 5pm)
    Concept:
    Join us in the swingin’ 60s, as this defining decade in British history takes over our museum! Hear your favourite 1960s music played by live bands, explore our 1960s buildings, see vintage vehicles, as well as 60s fashion trends. Learn about technological advancements,  attitude changes and liberation,  and dance the night away with our historic 1960s characters.
    Take a look at the map and activity trail.
    For more information, please see the context sheet.
    Contact:
    oliver.clee@bclm.com (Programme)
  • Congratulations Hannah!

    Congratulations Hannah!

    Congratulations to Hannah Brown, our Audiences & Communications Manager, on successfully completing her apprenticeship with distinction!

    Hannah first joined the team in 2018 as a Marketing Coordinator and rose to the role of manager. Since January 2023, she has been undertaking her Level 6 apprenticeship through Cambridge Marketing College, a journey that reflects both her commitment and passion for marketing.

    We’re incredibly proud and we look forward to the valuable contributions she will continue to make to our Museum.

  • Easter Holiday – Colleague evaluation survey

    Easter Holiday – Colleague evaluation survey

    Thank you to everyone who participated in our Easter Holiday Programme – Spring in your Step. We’ve had some brilliant feedback from our visitors and now we need to hear from you!

    Please take a few minutes to fill in our colleague survey to tell us what you think by clicking here.

    Here are some highlights of what our visitors thought:

    “Swift entrance, good and convenient bathroom facilities, clear instructions on maps, attractive and interesting buildings and interiors, marvellous actors, tasty food available for any budget”

    “It’s just a beautiful place, well kept, immersive and very clean and tidy. There is also a large amount of items to view, which you can’t appreciate in just one visit.”

    • 97% of visitors rated their overall experience of the programme as “good” or “excellent” (70% voted excellent!)
    • 93% of visitors agreed that they had “learnt something new about Black Country Heritage”
    • 90% of visitors agreed that they “felt like they had the opportunity to participate”
    • 48% of visitors used their Trail which is typically higher than average usage, and it scored a rating of 82% for quality.
    • 39% of visitors were first time visitors

     

    • Visitors repeatedly mentioned that they felt like there was a lot to do and see, as well as friendly and knowledgeable staff.
    • Visitors mentioned that there cost of additional onsite purchases (car park, food and drink) were high, that they didn’t feel orientated by the map and that there was inconsistency in terms of visitor engagement:

    “We really enjoyed the visit… Always enjoyable, very cleverly set out, always clean and tidy! I find it is quite hit and miss with the levels of interaction in certain ‘shops’ ‘houses’ etc some staff/volunteers are very willing to talk and share knowledge & interact in character, with some choosing to just sit and not interact.”

    Well done to all teams and please do complete the survey. For any specific questions on the programme or feedback, please email [email protected]

  • Wellbeing Open Mic Night

    Wellbeing Open Mic Night

    Get ready for a fantastic night of live entertainment at our Wellbeing Open Mic Night, hosted by the wonderful Katie Parkes.

    Where: Elephant & Castle Pub
    When: Thursday 15 May – from 6pm

    Join us for an evening of spoken word, live music, and poetry, showcasing amazing talent from our colleagues. Whether you fancy stepping up to the mic yourself or just want to enjoy the show, everyone (16+ years) is welcome – including friends and family.

    Want to perform?
    We’d love to hear from you. If you’d like to sign up for a performance slot, please contact Katie at [email protected] or via Planday.

    Even if performing isn’t your thing, we would love you to come along, support your colleagues, and enjoy an evening of creativity and entertainment.

    Hope to see you there!

  • Deaf Stories – Programme

    Deaf Stories – Programme

    Date and time:

    Saturday 10 May

    10am – 4.30pm

    Concept:
    Visitors are invited to discover the lived experiences of D/deaf people in the Black Country, featuring three Deaf characters sharing real stories from the 1940s, 50s, and 60s.
    Flyers will be distributed with information about the programme, including a BSL fingerspelling alphabet at the back. There is an option for our D/deaf visitors to send feedback as a BSL video message to [email protected] and the QR codes take the visitors to the online survey questions.
    The Access tours will proceed as normal, with an Audio Descriptive tour (10.30am-12pm) & the British Sign Language tour (2pm-3.30pm).
    Please, check the flyer to check the activity locations and times.
    For more information, please see the context sheet.
    Help us prepare!
    We want to be inclusive as possible in everything we do. Help us get ready and learn a handful of British Sign Language words and phrases to help provide an inclusive experience for our visitors on the day. To help you get started, watch the videos below:
    For more information contact [email protected].
  • Home of canals – programme

    Home of canals – programme

    Date and times:
    Saturday  3 May  – Monday 5 May 2025
    10am – 5pm
    Concept:
    As part of our annual tug boat gathering, we’re shining a spotlight on the boat dock. Visitors can meet passionate boaters, test their boatman skills with a mooring activity, and join one of the additional boat dock tours available throughout the day. Please, take a look at the Tug Boat Guide.
    For more information, please see the context sheet.
    Contact:
    [email protected] (Programme)
  • VE Day – activity on site

    VE Day – activity on site

    Concept:

    On Monday 5 and Thursday 8 May, there’ll be a touch of VE Day celebration across the Museum site.

    Mr and Mrs Vernon, in the 1940s Cast Iron House, are keen to mark the occasion by organising a street party with their neighbours—though there’s some concern they’ll have enough food to go around, with rationing still in place. They’ve heard that the Prime Minister has been in touch with the Ministry of Food to ensure there’s enough beer for all the pubs!

    Also roaming the site is a soldier from the Military Police of the 116 Provost Company (Cannock). He’s been stationed in Dudley as part of one of two Midland regiments deployed in case of enemy troop landings. He’ll be enforcing military law among local Army forces and keeping a watchful eye.

    We’ll also be shining a spotlight on VE Day later in the year as part of our 1940s Weekend.

  • All Colleague Briefing – May 2025

    All Colleague Briefing – May 2025

    As part of our continual programme of ensuring engagement and communication across the Museum’s operational and strategic activity, we will be holding briefings to update all colleagues on the Museum’s progress and the plans for 2025.
    These briefings will take place on:
    • Tuesday 20 May
    • Wednesday 21 May
    • Saturday 24 May

    All the briefings will take place in Hall 2 and will commence at 9am, finishing at 9.30am.

    • Many of you will already be scheduled by your line managers to attend one of these sessions. If you have not yet been scheduled, please contact your line manager.
    • All contracted colleagues are mandated to attend these sessions. We would also strongly urge colleagues from both our volunteer and casual community to all attend.
    • You only need to attend one of the briefing sessions.

    Can you please sign up using the following link: All Colleague Briefings May 2025

    Slips will be available for colleagues to submit questions or comments in advance.  These can be submitted anonymously, which is especially helpful for anyone unable to attend or who prefer not to speak up on the day. We will place some in break areas, but they will be available from line managers at morning briefings.
    If you have any trouble signing up for the briefing because you do not have a BCLM email address, please speak to your line manager who will be able to add your name for you.