- Mon 11 May – Operations (Nick Sellers) Strategic Directions Drop-in: Operations
- Tue 12 May – Cultural Enterprises (Kate Kirkpatrick) Strategic Directions Drop-in: Cultural Enterprises
- Wed 13 May – Public Programmes (Janine Downes) Strategic Directions Drop-in: Public Programmes
- Thu 14 May – Finance (Diane Harvey) Strategic Directions Drop-in: Finance
- Mon 18 May – Development & Communications (Hannah Parsons) Strategic Directions Drop-in: Development & Communications
- Tue 19 May – Interpretation & Collections (Matthew Cowpe) Strategic Directions Drop-in: Interpretation & Collections
Category: Information Sharing
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Strategic Directions Drop-in Sessions update
Thank you to those of you who have signed up to attend the Strategic Directions Drop-in sessions. For those of you who wish to join these online, the Teams links for each session are attached below:All sessions run 5:15-6:15pm in Classroom One, Learning Centre.You’re welcome to join whichever sessions are most relevant to you or come along to all of them. There’s still time to sign-up. -

Restoration and extension of trolleybus network made possible thanks to investment
We’re delighted to share that the Museum has secured £272,000 from the DCMS/Wolfson Museums and Galleries Improvement Fund to restore and relaunch our historic trolleybus network.
This is a significant moment for the organisation and a real vote of confidence in our work, following a highly competitive national process.
The project will allow us to return three locally built trolleybuses to operation and extend their route into the 1940s–60s High Street, completing a key part of the Forging Ahead vision.
Why this matters
For the past three years, the trolleybus network has been out of use. As many of you know, it’s not just a popular visitor experience, it’s a vital part of how we move people across site, and a key part of how we tell the story of the Black Country.
This investment:
- Safeguards an important part of our collection
- Improves accessibility for visitors
- Reduces reliance on diesel vehicles
- Strengthens the overall visitor experience
A timely moment for the region
This all comes as Dudley prepares to welcome the Metro later this year, reconnecting the town to the wider transport network.
There’s something powerful about bringing historic electric transport back at the same time as new electric transport arrives.
What happens next
The grant secures the core of the project, but we’ll now be working to enhance what we deliver, including interpretation and accessibility.
There will be opportunities for teams across the Museum to get involved as the project develops.
A huge thank you to everyone who contributed to the bid, and to the teams who will help bring this project to life.
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Introducing: Bostin’ Promise Recognition
We love celebrating the brilliant work our teams do every day – and now there are even more ways to recognise them when we see our colleagues going above and beyond.
Monthly recognition scheme – Our Kid
If you’ve seen your colleagues putting their Bostin’ Promise best practise in action, you can now nominate them in our recognition scheme.
To nominate someone, you can use our online form. You can also complete a paper form and pop it in the post boxes available in all break spaces, or the People Team post boxes at Rolfe Street or Hartills.
Colleagues may only vote once – any double votes will be disregarded.
Every month, a panel will come together to review the nominations and select the top six. To thank the top six for their demonstration of the Bostin’ Promise, they will be gifted a £20 voucher. The best of the six will be named Our Kid of the Month and will be gifted a £40 voucher. All monthly winners will go into a draw to win Mukka of the Year and will be recognised for their achievement during January Reset.
Please note that vouchers are gifted in good faith to recognise and thank special one-off contributions made by colleagues that go above and beyond, in line with the Bostin’ Promise. Vouchers cannot be transferred or exchanged i.e. for a different voucher type or equivalent cash value.
Manager Recognition Cards
Managers and supervisors will also be on the lookout for great examples of the Bostin’ Promise in action. Managers have four recognition cards to award (one per pillar of the Promise) which can be given to any colleague they personally see living our values.
Colleagues who receive all four of the different Bostin’ Promise Recognition Cards will receive a special thank you gift!
All recognition, colleague nominations and manager-awarded cards will be shared monthly on the intranet under the People News section.
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Sector news: Sir Neil Cossons OBE
In news from the Museum sector, we are saddened to hear of the passing of Sir Neil Cossons OBE. A pioneering figure in the Museums sector, he was the first Director of Ironbridge Gorge Museums and went on to lead both Royal Museums Greenwich and the Science Museum. He was also a founding member of the Association of Independent Museums, as well as a former Chair at English Heritage.
Alongside all of this he was also a member of the National Lottery Heritage Fund, and was instrumental in championing our cause when we were awarded investment for the Forging Ahead project.
He has been described by Andrew Lovett as “an inspirational figure in the world of museums, heritage, and engaging people in history.”
His passing has been marked across the Museum sector, including by the Museums Association and AIM.
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Woodside Library now open
We would like to share our sincere thanks to every individual who has contributed to the successful launch of Woodside Library. This beautiful building forms the final piece of our 1940s-1960s development, the largest capital development that the Museum has ever embarked on. The project has been incredibly rewarding, challenging and transformative for the Museum and we’re so proud of every individual who has helped us bring this ambitious plan to life – thank you.
On Monday 16 March we hosted a press day, where members of the community who donated books and shared memories had the opportunity to enjoy a first look of the space. Guests included current librarians who donated books, former users of the community room including pupils of ballroom dancing classes and a former bride who enjoyed a wedding reception at the Library, and members of the community who were part of the campaign to save the library and kick-start the works to bring it here to the Museum.

From this, we have received significant coverage so far from Express & Star, BBC Birmingham & Black Country, Museum & Heritage Advisor and Black Country Radio.
On Wednesday 18 March we opened the Library for the first visitors. Our first ever visitor to Woodside Library was Simon, who arrived at the Museum extra early. His enthusiasm was rewarded with a “Weit’o” Dudley Library Circle Members badge!

This project has been supported by several key major investors. Woodside Library in particular has been specially supported by the FCC Communities Foundation, as well as our funders National Lottery Heritage Fund, Arts Council England, Black Country LEP, Dudley Council, West Midlands Combined Authority and DCMS.
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Heritage Railway Association Privilege Rail Pass – Colleague Benefit
Did you know that, as the Museum is a member of the Heritage Railway Association, colleagues are eligible to apply for the HRA Privilege Rail Pass?
The pass provides free or reduced-price travel on many heritage railways and tramways across the UK. It’s a great way to explore the country’s historic railways, experience different heritage operations, and enjoy a day out while supporting the wider heritage railway community.
Eligibility and terms are set by the HRA, and individual railways may have their own conditions of use, so it’s worth checking the details before planning a visit.
For further info please see: HRA Privilege | Heritage Railway Association
If you’re interested in heritage railways, this could be a great benefit to make the most of as part of our museum’s HRA membership.
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National Lottery Open Day – Thursday 12 March
We are once again taking part in National Lottery Open Week this year, with free entry to the Museum on Thursday 12 March 2026 for Lottery players.
To say thank you for the £32 million raised for good causes every week by players, there is free entry and special offers at a range of National Lottery funded venues across the UK as part of National Lottery Open Week.
National Lottery Heritage Fund have made a significant investment in our brand new 1940s-60s development, which sees us bringing our historic storytelling into living memory once again. Set foot into the post-war era in our largest development yet, from a whole high street of shops to a fascinating industrial area.
As our way of saying a big thank you to you, the Lottery players, we’re giving National Lottery players the opportunity to visit the Museum for free on Thursday 12 March.
Tickets can be booked via the Museum website. To find out more about all of the venues and offers, visit the National Lottery Open Week webpage.
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Hartills Meeting Rooms – Temporary Closure
Please note that the Hartills meeting rooms are currently unavailable while essential maintenance works are carried out.
We kindly ask colleagues not to book or use these rooms during this period. As meeting space is currently limited, please use office spaces that are appropriate to the size of your meeting wherever possible. The small office next to the People Team is also available for use.
We will let you know as soon as the rooms are ready to be used again. Thank you for your understanding and cooperation.
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Red By Night event – postponed
After careful consideration we have made the decision to postpone our Red By Night event, which was due to take place on Saturday 21 March. The new date will be Saturday 3 October. The additional time will allow us to ensure that we’re able to deliver the best possible visitor experience and fully do justice to the planned programme.
Customers who have already purchased tickets have been contacted and have been offered either a transfer of their booking or a refund.
We appreciate that this change may have implications for teams across the organisation, and we thank everyone for their flexibility and continued support.






