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Category: Information Sharing

  • New password for ‘offsite’ intranet access

    As part of a routine security update, the password to access the intranet outside of Museum computer network has been updated.

    If you wish to access the intranet when you’re outside of the Museum, or outside of the Museum IT network (e.g. via mobile device), you will need to enter a new password to log on.

    This new password is: sweetshop (one word, all lower case).

    The new password will also be shared with colleagues via a PlanDay update.

  • A reminder about COVID-safe behaviours

    A reminder about COVID-safe behaviours

    In light of the latest government update on COVID-19 controls, we thought it useful to make clear how the “Rule of 6” and Track and Trace changes impact the Museum and to take the opportunity to remind everyone of our COVID-safe measures and related behaviour.

    • All colleagues must maintain a social distance of at least 2 metres from each other and all visitors in the Museum.  Distancing on-site also applies to colleagues or visitors who are in the same household or ‘bubble’ as you. Other visitors to the Museum will not know your personal circumstances and might assume that you are not observing social distancing.
    • Regular hand washing (or sanitisation where washing is not possible) should always take place after arrival at work, before and after a break, before and after handling a face covering or shield, and before you leave to go home.
    • Separate break areas and toilets have been allocated depending on which zone/area you work in for each day. This has been done to ensure that social distancing can be maintained and to assist Track and Trace if we need to inform them of a positive case.  You MUST stick to your allocated area for the day – if you aren’t sure where you should be going please ask the Duty Manager at morning briefing.
    • All colleagues are now required to clock in to ensure we can track who has been to the Museum each day, should we need to report a positive case for Track and Trace purposes.
    • We must all lead by example and observe the distancing measures introduced, when open to the public.  Keep left, follow all one-way routes, enter and exit buildings or areas as directed by the signage or symbols and help ensure that building capacities are observed.
    • Where you have a concern that visitors might be gathering outside of the “rule of 6”, i.e. a larger group has formed and appears to know each other or be moving around site together, please make the Duty Manager aware for them to approach the group appropriately.
    • Where visitors are naturally getting a little close, please feel free to politely remind visitors to keep their distance from others not in their household.  Please present this as a general reminder.
    • Please dispose of paper towels in a bin.  Sanitary bins are only for used anti-bacterial wipes and sanitary products, rather than general waste.
    • All cutlery and crockery must be washed, dried and put away after use. All rubbish must be placed in the bins provided.  We would like to make microwaves available for use again, but this will only be possible if we can maintain a high standard of cleanliness in our kitchen areas.

    We thank everyone who is making an effort to keep the Museum a safe place to work and visit and we hope that everyone can continue to make this the case in such challenging times. Checks will continue to be made throughout each day and further action will be taken where breaches in safe behaviours are identified.

  • All Around Britain – ITV1 Sun 13 Sep

    We’re excited to share the news that the Museum will feature in a brand new series to be broadcast on ITV1 this Sunday (13 Sep).

    ‘All Around Britain’ is a new show hosted by Ranvir Singh and Alex Beresford (of Good Morning Britain). Each week, they will take viewers on a tour around Britain to some of the nation’s most famous attractions and landmarks.

    BCLM is the host location for episode 2 of ‘All Around Britain’. The programme will feature the presenters taking on a number of different challenges helped by BCLM staff – including canal art painting and chain making.

    We’re delighted that ITV have chosen us as one of the key locations as it’s an opportunity to show a national audience what BCLM is all about and to celebrate the history and culture of the Black Country.

    The episode is scheduled for broadcast at 11.20am-12.20pm on Sun 13 Sep on ITV1. If you can’t tune in then, the show will be available on catch up on the ITV Hub.

    A huge thank you to everyone who helped to make the filming possible and especially to those who contributed on-camera. ITV are apparently delighted with the results, so we can’t wait to see the show when it’s broadcast.

  • Change to Museum opening hours, effective week commencing 7th September 2020

    Dear Colleagues

    Thank you all for your hard work and support in advance of our re-opening at the beginning of August and your enthusiasm for the programme and our COVID safety measures now we have visitors back onsite.

    The feedback from our visitors has been overwhelmingly positive and many have commented that they have experienced parts of the Museum that they haven’t before, found our offer to be more engaging, our food and drink offer to be more plentiful and that the Museum has felt safe and well controlled. 

    Despite this wonderful feedback, we do need to recognise that closure due to COVID-19 meant we lost 150,000 visitors and C.£3m in revenue.  BCLM is 94% funded by our visitors so with a continued reduction in attendance due to social distancing measures, the uncertainty around future visitors, especially schools and groups this Autumn and Winter, or our ability to hold events will continue to have a financial impact on the Museum

    Our award from the Arts Council Emergency Response Fund was gratefully received in June and this week we have submit a bid for further support from the Government Cultural Recovery fund.  We will receive the outcome of our bid at the end of October. 

    With these factors in mind, we have taken the difficult decision to reduce the Museum’s opening hours, effective from 7th September 2020 as follows:

    • W/C 7th September: Open Thursday 10th – Sunday 13th, 10am – 4pm.  (Wednesday 9th closed for a private booking)
    • W/C 14th September –25th October: Open Wednesday – Sunday, 10am – 4pm.
    • W/C 26th October – 1st November – October Half Term: Open Monday – Sunday, 10am – 4pm.

    You will see that we are effectively bringing forward our winter opening hours to reflect our lower visitor numbers.

    Those colleagues whose contracted days or hours will reduce as a result of the above, will have the difference “topped” up to 80% of their usual pay using the Government’s Job Retention flexible furlough scheme until the end of October when the scheme comes to an end and when we would usually expect to move to our low season hours.

    If you have any queries about your personal situation or work patterns then please speak to you line managers who will work through these with you with support from People & Culture if required.

    I appreciate this will be disappointing but not unexpected news and we mustn’t let it dampen our spirits.  Let’s continue to deliver a fantastic visitor experience and maintain momentum and energy as we move into Autumn.

    Thank you again for your continued support.

    All the best

    Andrew

  • Forging Ahead Update – 14 Aug

    Forging Ahead Update – 14 Aug

    We’re delighted to announce that work on Forging Ahead will re-commence from w/c 17 August.  Work on the project was put on hold in March due to the Covid pandemic, but we are now in the fortunate position where the work associated with the Pre-Contract Services Agreement can now begin again.

    The most visible sign of work at the early stage of the project will be the construction of hoarding around Cast-Iron Houses as part of their re-location to make way for the new Visitor Centre.

    We will publish a further update on the new schedule for the development in due course, but in the meantime we wanted to let you know that plans to bring the Museum’s story up to the 1960s now have renewed momentum.

  • An update from Andrew – 7 Aug

    As we head into the second weekend following reopening, I wanted to take a moment to reflect on the fabulous feedback we’ve received from visitors since we’ve been able to welcome them back, and to share my personal thanks with you all for your efforts to bring the Museum to life following a long period of lockdown.

    Throughout our 136 days of closure, I was heartened to see so many messages of affection and support for the Museum.  Many of the people wishing us well told us what they missed most about BCLM – its stories, its people, being able to spend time reminiscing with their loved ones, and, dare I say it, the fish and chips.

    This notwithstanding, I’ve been both surprised and delighted by the degree of positivity and enthusiasm visitors have displayed towards us since reopening.  This reaction is a testament to working together successfully as one Museum team.  Visitors have embraced the new programme and how it takes them to parts of the site that they may never have visited before; they love hearing new stories delivered passionately by historic characters; they love the variety of the food and drink offer; and they feel safe with the distancing measures in place and a highly visible cleaning team working hard to maintain hygiene standards. 

    All of these things and more have been mentioned by visitors – many in long and heartfelt social media reviews and emails to the Museum.  I would encourage you to visit our social channels to see for yourself what people are saying about the work many of you have been doing to ensure the Museum succeeds. 

    The Museum has also hosted some notable visitors in its early stages of opening.  In what may sound like the beginning of an old joke, an MP, a Minister, and a Bishop walked into the Museum… But, in all seriousness, over the past seven days we’ve seen Dudley North MP Marco Longhi – impressed from his visit on Saturday – returning on Wednesday having invited the Minister of State for Digital and Culture, Caroline Dinenage MP, to visit the Museum in order to show her first-hand what a remarkable community asset it is.  The Rt Revd Martin Gorick, Bishop of Dudley, has also visited to show his support for the Museum.  These visits are not just important for the media coverage they can generate, but they’re also an opportunity to put the Museum front-and-centre with decision-makers who have a real influence over the future of the cultural sector. 

    Despite the success of our reopening, these are still very uncertain times for many businesses and charities and, not least, the Museum.  Our recent award from the Arts Council Emergency Response Fund and the strong demand for tickets means we’ve been able to begin trading again and generate much needed cashflow.  However, visitor numbers for this August will likely be around fifty per cent of the level achieved in 2019 and, as an organisation which is more than 90% dependent upon visitor income, reopening does not yet mean recovery.  The challenge of operating in a financially-sustainable way in the era of social distancing remains.  Therefore, it would be wrong of me if I did not mention here there are likely to be some difficult decisions ahead.

    The £1.57bn Culture Recovery Fund – currently the only sector-specific government fund – is evidence of the Government’s recognition of the importance of the cultural sector to people’s lives and the need to support organisations during this moment of crisis.  The Museum’s Leadership Team is currently looking at the best ways to apply for financial support from the Fund to enable us to operate effectively in the short term and give the organisation the best chance of survival in the long term.   It is still too early to tell what the long-term impact of Covid will be on consumer confidence and its influence on how people will choose to visit the Museum in the future.  Consequently, the future is uncertain.  Nevertheless, the Leadership Team and I are working hard to protect the Museum, its people, and livelihoods as we navigate this ‘new normal’.

    In this last of weekly comms updates, I wanted thank you all for your hard work and the way you have supported each other through these most difficult of times.  A living museum is no such thing without its people – both colleagues and visitors.  Our reopening has proved how vital the Museum is to the cultural life of the area, and as an agent of community cohesion.  Therefore, I’m incredibly proud of the experience we’ve put together and the positive impact it’s made for our visitors and for the reputation of the Black Country more widely.

    Thank you all,

    Andrew

  • Weekly update – Wed 29 Jul

    Thank you to everyone who made our soft launch preview possible on Tuesday 28 July. The feedback from visitors has been incredibly positive and a provides great boost of confidence ahead of full opening on Saturday.

    We wanted to share some of the feedback with you:

    The weather forecast for Saturday is looking positive, so with such positive feedback and sunny skies, we’re in a great position to welcome visitors back and to bring the Museum to life once again.

  • Update 16 Jul

    This week’s update is brief compared to the volume of news there was to share last week.  However, that doesn’t mean that things haven’t been busy behind the scenes at the Museum.  Preparations for reopening are gathering pace with the installation of protective screens, signage, and sanitising units in key areas of the site as some of the most visible ways the Museum is being made ‘Covid-secure’. 

    Mapping ‘Unlocking the Black Country’

    Following on from last week’s update about the forthcoming programme, we wanted to share the map that’s been designed for ‘Unlocking the Black Country’.  Poster-size versions of the map will printed for display at the Museum and we’ll encourage visitors to take photographs of it on their phones so that they can refer to it whilst minimising handling (and saving paper!) 

    Covid Induction Sessions

    Colleagues returning to the Museum next week will attend an induction on coming back to site safely and adhering to new protocols to make the Museum Covid-secure.  Colleagues will be notified of the relevant sessions for them via line managers/PlanDay.

    Welfare Calls

    We hope that by now almost everyone will have received a welfare call from their manager.  If you have yet to have your call/agree a time for your call, please do get in touch with your manager, or email [email protected]

    And finally…

    It’s been a busy week for the Museum in the media.  Andrew has been interviewed for a pre-opening feature in the Express & Star, due for publication in the next few days, and also appeared on BBC Radio on Sun 12 Jul talking about the future of museums in the UK.   You can listen to an excerpt of the interview here:

  • Weekly update 8 Jul

    Weekly update 8 Jul

    You’ll likely have seen from media coverage that this has been an important week for the cultural sector.  The Government’s announcement of a £1.57bn funding package has been received positively by sector leaders given its size and scope.  There will be much work to do over the coming days and weeks to understand how organisations can access the funds and how monies will be distributed.  However, this is incredibly welcome news – particularly for performing arts venues, such as theatres, who still must remain closed due to restrictions around Covid-19.

    ACE Emergency Response Fund

    You may also have seen that, alongside other Midlands cultural organisations, BCLM has secured emergency funding from Arts Council England (ACE).  A full intranet update on this is here.  This support from ACE will play a crucial role in helping us to realise our plans for reopening, as well as contributing to some of the shortfall in income during our closure period.

    Reopening Programme – Unlocking the Black Country

    Last week, we promised an update on the reopening programme.  The theme for reopening is ‘Unlocking the Black Country’. 

    There are two strands to this programme.  Firstly, to ensure we are unlocking safely with measures in place for colleagues and visitors and, secondly, to unlock history in a way that engages visitors.

    Detailed information around protective measures, risk assessments, and new protocols to protect colleagues on-site will be rolled out as part of the return-to-work process and staff training.  There will also be public comms about safety measures to provide reassurance to visitors.

    In the meantime, we wanted to provide some highlights on how we’re proposing to ‘unlock history’.  One of the key concepts behind the programme is to take an ‘inside-out’ approach.  This means that, wherever possible, we want to make more active use of the outdoor space offered by the site.  Part of the plan is to make more use of the Museum’s vehicle collection to create greater outdoor spectacle and to adapt some of the shows originally developed for school audiences into demonstrations that will engage visitors of all ages.

    We’ve been working on creating distinctive themed ‘zones’ around the Museum site to give visitors the sense of travelling through time and the chance to hear about different facets of the Black Country story.  In all, there will be five zones:

    1. ‘Marvellous Machines’ – Located at Newcomen and areas below terrace

    “From the Newcomen to the internal combustion engine, discover the manufacturing heritage of the Black Country”

    2. ‘Black Gold’ – Located at Mine/Colliery area

    “The story of Black Country coal and how it fuelled the industrial revolution”

    3. ‘Victory Park’ – Located at Folkes Park

    “It’s 1945 and the end of war in Europe has just been announced. Come and celebrate and help us remember those we’ve lost”

    ‘4. Village Voices’ – Located at Canal Street and Station Road

    “A village of hardship and strife, but also of people working together to improve their lot”

    5. ‘Workshops of the World’ – Located at the canal arm, Anchor Forge, Rolling Mill, Chain Shop

    “Hear the stories of the people who crossed borders to keep Black Country industry thriving”

    The programme is based on much of the existing learning that Museum colleagues hold.  Where there are adaptations and new ideas to be tested, full training will be given to colleagues where this is relevant.  We will update people on the timetable and plan for training in due course.

    Our Food and Drink and Enterprise offer is being designed in parallel to complement the visitor programme. 

    The above information is meant to provide a taster of the offer.  Further details will be published soon.  The programme has been designed encourage visitors to travel around the site in a more structured manner than they usually would, and to encourage them to spend time in each of the zones interacting with colleagues in a safe, socially-distanced manner.

    Keeping in touch – wellbeing conversations

    Line managers are in the process of contacting all colleagues to have a wellbeing call and check-in.  By the end of this week, all colleagues should have received a call and an opportunity to talk to their manager.  Please do questions you may have regarding reopening with your managers, or if you have any questions you’d like to ask in confidence – please do email [email protected]  Following on from these initial conversations, managers will be back in touch to discuss specific plans for each individual colleague.

    In the meantime, we hope that you and your loved ones stay safe and well.

  • BCLM Awarded Arts Council England Emergency Funding

    BCLM Awarded Arts Council England Emergency Funding

    The Museum has received £1.175m of financial support from the Arts Council England Emergency Response Fund.  This funding will provide a lifeline during such a critical time in the Museum’s history.

    As for many other businesses and charitable organisations throughout the UK, these are difficult and uncertain times.  During lockdown, the Museum has lost £3.1m in revenue and an anticipated 150,000 visitors.  With 94% of Museum income coming from visitors, the lockdown has had a devastating financial effect. 

    This emergency support will go some way to help to fund the Museum’s plans for reopening and meet costs incurred during closure when the Museum was unable to generate visitor income.

    The support we’ve received from ACE, other funders, and our fantastic Members and visitors has been vital to the Museum’s immediate survival but, given the depth of the financial losses incurred as a result of the pandemic, these much-needed funds will not completely offset the fall in income.

    Therefore, we’re focused on doing all we can now to preserve jobs and livelihoods for the future so that we can keep operating the Museum as the remarkable community asset it has grown to be.