We work hard to share our history while creating wonderful experiences, but what about us? We also deserve relaxing weekends with opportunities to explore and learn about the stories of other regions at affordable prices.
We are delighted to announce the following deal for our colleagues. We can enjoy an exclusive 20% discount on weekend stays throughout the UK at Village Hotels.
HOW DOES IT WORK?
Use this code when booking: CORWE
Farewell
Paul Crofts, Chief Operating Officer will be leaving the Museum in early June, after over two and a half years in the role. In this time, Paul has made a great impact with his dedication, leadership and commitment to the work of the Museum, not least with Forging Ahead. Having joined the Museum from the railway industry, Paul will now continue to further his career in the attraction sector and is joining an online travel agency in the early stages of major growth. An exciting opportunity for him and his young family.
Whilst we are sad to see Paul leave, we will use this opportunity to consider the most appropriate fit to support the Museum at this strategically exciting stage of our history.
We wish Paul every success for the future.
We also bid farewell to Denise George, Finance Assistant who has retired after 29 years and Pam Woodall, Enterprise Supervisor leaves us after 13 years at the Museum.
Welcome
A warm welcome to, Shayna Perera who has joined the Engagement Operations Team as a Duty Manager. Shayna was previously a duty manager with Birmingham Museums Trust.
Billie-Jo Clarke Joins the Enterprise Team as Commi Chef.
Later this month Sean Bird joins the Maintenance team as our Heritage Painter & Decorator.
We also have a number of new casual team members joining our Enterprise and cleaning teams.
Please make sure to say hello if you see our new colleagues on site.
Other News
Reebekah Gamston has been appointed as Food & Drink Shift Manager within the Enterprise Team, please join us in congratulating Reebekah.
We’re delighted to share that we are currently up for two awards – ‘Best Museum or Gallery’ at the Group Travel Awards and ‘Marketing + Communications Campaign of the Year’ at the Museums & Heritage Awards for ’75 babies – bringing the Black Country’s past and present together’.
We have records up t0 2017 of where we have either been nominated for or won an award, so we are now looking to log what we have achieved since then.
To help, can you please email [email protected] with details of what the award was that you or your team were nominated for, and whether we won or were a finalist or on the shortlist.
Thank you!
Out with the old, in with the new…
The days are getting longer, the bulbs are shooting and the feather dusters are out! Join the Black Country folk as they prepare for the new season with a good old spring clean using an array of tried and tested methods – some you will have heard of, others you definitely won’t have!
In keeping with the theme of newness, a young happy couple will be returning to their local chapel to christen their new bundle of joy. The service may be private, but keep an eye out for them as they take some photographs to remember their little ones special day. From singing in the chapel to doing the laundry, we’ve got plenty to give you a Spring In Your Step this Easter Holiday. You can even make your own hyacinth flower in Hut 14 and help decorate the prams in the IWC for their special competition!
You can see the trail of activities here.
Programme Lead: Izzy Taylor [email protected]
As we move closer to launching our new strategy, a few changes have been made to the Leadership Team so that we can move forward with a rebalancing of responsibilities.
Carol King’s position, formerly Director of Programmes, has been retitled ‘Director of Content’. There have been no changes to Carol’s team, however a new Head of Interpretation and Collections will be joining us shortly. Until they start, Interpretation & Research and Chloe Taylor (Collections Manager) are all reporting to Carol.
We are also seeking a new Director of Development & External Affairs, with the post currently being advertised. This post replaces Carolyn Sankey and Vicki Stanley’s shared post of Co-Director of Development.
Audiences & Communications join Development in reporting to this role. Our new Director of Development & External Affairs will build on the great work of both Audiences & Communications and Development to help deliver the Museum to the world and drive strategic partnerships to welcome more audiences to our bostin’ museum.
Until they join us, Claire Packer (Head of Audiences & Communications), Sophie Howell (Development Manager) and Kate Kirkpatrick (Corporate Sales and Development Manager) will report to Andrew Lovett.
Last Friday, 15 March, we officially opened our new Industrial Quarter at Red by Night – sharing new stories from Joe H. Smith & Sons (Oldbury), J.H. Lavender Aluminium Foundry and Cricket Field Brickworks.
“We are thrilled to unveil the next stage of our development, which is a testament to our commitment to preserving and sharing the rich industrial heritage of the Black Country. These new additions offer a glimpse into a bygone era filled with innovation, hard work, and community spirit,” Carol King, Director of Programmes, shared with the press.
Thank you to everyone’s hard work in opening the latest stage of our Forging Ahead development. Your support, enthusiasm and determination has made all of this possible and we can’t wait to hear what our visitors think as they meet new historic characters, see our mighty drop hammers, watch demonstrations, and discover more about Black Country industry in the 1950s.
It is with regret that we must inform you of the cancellation of our planned outing to experience the enchanting production of “Wizard of Oz” at the Birmingham Hippodrome, scheduled for Wednesday, 12th June 2024.
Despite our excitement and efforts to organise this event, due to limited demand, we are unable to proceed with the excursion as initially planned.
We understand the disappointment this may bring and apologise for any inconvenience caused. Your enthusiasm and support for our events are highly appreciated, and we hope to bring you more captivating experiences in the future.
For those who have signed-up and made payment, you may collect this from the People & Culture Office.
Should you have any questions or require further assistance, please feel free to reach out to the team at [email protected].
As lovers of literature and advocates for personal growth, we believe that diving into the world of books can enrich our lives in numerous ways. Our inaugural book selection is the timeless classic, “Little Women” by Louisa May Alcott. Whether you’re revisiting this cherished tale or experiencing it for the first time, there’s something magical about journeying through the lives of the March sisters together.
We understand that the first meeting may have been a bit quiet, but fear not! We realise that we didn’t provide much detail about how the club will operate. Allow us to shed some light on what to expect and why we think you’ll love being a part of “Book Worms”.
How It Works:
If you are interested in joining the bookworms, please email [email protected] so we can ensure there are enough books for all!
See you at our next “Book Worms” gathering!
Happy reading.
Between Friday 15 March (22.00hrs) until Monday 18 March (04.00hrs) a small section of Birmingham New Road A4123, by Hanson’s Ale Bridge, between Burnt Tree and Tipton Road junction, will be closed to vehicles.
This closure is to facilitate safe installation of supporting cill beams for the Wednesbury to Brierley Hill Metro extension that will enhance public transport accessibility across the Black Country and bring regeneration to Dudley.
You can still get where you need to go. Please consider the following travel advice if your journey is impacted by this closure.
Travel advice:
For short trips, try cycling or walking. However, pedestrians may need to cross at designated points.
As we approach the opening of the Industrial Quarter, we wanted to take this opportunity to share the brand-new story notes that have been created for each building, by our fantastic Interpretation and Research team.
These narrative details serve as an excellent guide to grasp the history of these buildings, set to open soon. Hence, we kindly urge you to dedicate some time to reading them thoroughly.
