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Category: Key update

  • Visit from HRH The Duke of Gloucester

    Visit from HRH The Duke of Gloucester

    We recently welcomed our patron His Royal Highness the Duke of Gloucester for a visit to the Museum. Please see below a message from our Chief Exec Andrew Lovett, reflecting on the visit.

    “The warmest day of the year saw us welcome our Patron, HRH The Duke of Gloucester. This was The Duke’s third visit to the Museum in recent times, giving us the opportunity to show how we are continuing to develop our impact through new stories and expanding the estate with new historic features.  I am pleased that The Duke was able to meet so many members of staff.

    The Duke honoured us with an official opening of Woodside Library, and in his accompanying remarks reflected how crucial libraries are to society, especially for young people.

    We were also able to show our Patron Laurie Thomas, the Army & Navy Store and finally the Co-op, before being driven off in our 1939 Alvis.

    A huge amount of planning is required for such visits and I am enormously grateful to everyone on the Museum Team for putting together a faultless itinerary, in liaison with many stakeholders, including the Lord Lieutenant,  the Mayor of Dudley, and the police. Can I also thank all those staff who talked to The Duke about the work of the Museum, making his visit even more memorable.

    With my sincere thanks.

    A”.

    We have since received a letter of thanks from the Duke for his visit which can be seen below.

  • Our best-ever quality assessment score from VisitEngland achieved this month

    Our best-ever quality assessment score from VisitEngland achieved this month

    Earlier this month, we had our annual assessment from the Visitor Attractions Quality Assurance Scheme (known as VAQAS) which is operated by VisitEngland. With the fantastic combined efforts of all involved, we achieved 95%, improving our 2025 score of 94%. This accreditation is a nationally recognised initiative that highlights the very best in days out. The assessment is thorough and rigorous, and helps us to demonstrate to our visitors that we are among the best places to go in England. Our impressive score of 95% also shortlists us for a Gold Award, which we achieved for the first time last year.

    Some stand out comments from our assessor include:

    There is little not to admire about the experience. The museum’s cross-generational appeal is
    particularly commendable, creating opportunities for families to share stories and memories
    across age groups. This emotional connection elevates the attraction beyond simply being an
    open-air museum.

    Staffing is a clear and significant strength and plays a major role in the attraction’s success. The
    team consistently delivers warm, engaging and highly professional customer care, which greatly
    enhances the overall visitor experience. A score of 95% is fully justified and reflects the
    exceptionally high standards observed throughout the visit.

    A visit is not complete without trying the famous Hobbs and Sons fish and chips. Cooked in beef
    dripping and served hot in paper, they lived up to their reputation. The food was excellent,
    perfectly cooked fish and crisp, flavoursome chips in keeping with the heritage setting.

    We’d like to thank everyone for your continued fantastic work in making us an outstanding visitor attraction, worthy of such a fantastic score. The results show that your hard work in embodying the values of Our Bostin’ Promise truly make us an unforgettable experience for our visitors.

    In particular, some of the colleagues that were working on the day of the assessment (Saturday 16 May) who are mentioned in the report include:

    • The admissions team, who “provided a warm and friendly welcome and clearly explained both the annual return offer and the Gift Aid scheme”
    • The mine gas show team who delivered their show “with enthusiasm, humour, audience participation and dramatic effects – creating a memorable experience for all ages”; as well as those who delivered the colliery tour who “vividly brought the story of mining and industrial heritage to life”, ensuring visitors still gained a strong understanding of this important aspect of the region’s history”.
    • Some of the Historic characters who were named include Lizzie and Matthew in the 1940s Cast Iron House, Rich A on the Cinema, and Steve and Denise on transport
    • The cleaning team: “Cleanliness standards across the museum were excellent throughout the visit and clearly reflected a well-managed, proactive approach to presentation and housekeeping”.
    • Hobbs team: “The outlet was very popular, with queues out the door. Staff worked efficiently to keep lines moving and maintain a positive atmosphere.”
    • The gift shop team, who achieved a 100% satisfaction score from the assessor.

    We’ll find out whether we achieve a Gold Award once again later this Summer. If you would like to read the report in full, please get in touch with Head of Operations Nick Sellers or Head of Development & Communications Hannah Parsons.

  • 1960s Weekend

    1960s Weekend

    Dates: Friday 15th May (evening only), Saturday 16th May (day and evening), Sunday 17th May (day only)
    Description of programme:
    Mod or rocker, Beatles mad or Rolling Stones fan….Visitors will join us in the swingin’ 60s, as this defining decade in British history takes over our museum!
    They will hear their favourite 1960s music played by live bands, explore our 1960s buildings, see vintage vehicles, as well as 60s fashion trends. There will be opportunity to learn about technological advancements, attitude changes and liberation. Visitors will be able to take part in a protest and celebrate England’s World Cup in with our historic characters, as well as dance the night away to their favourite 60s music.

    Please check out the context sheet for more information about the programme activity. Here1960s Weekend Context Sheet  ​

    For any questions, please speak to the programme lead, Jozey Grae – [email protected]
  • Back to the Floor – Step Into the Visitor Experience

    Back to the Floor – Step Into the Visitor Experience

    We all have our routines, the same desk, the same screen, the same meetings, and probably the same outfits on rotation.

    This July, we’re launching Back to the Floor – a new opportunity for office based colleagues to spend a day supporting our front-of-house teams across the Museum.

    This initiative directly supports one of the Museum’s core strategic priorities that we shared with all colleagues in January: Deliver excellence in every experience. By spending time alongside our visitor-facing teams, we strengthen our understanding of the experiences our visitors, colleagues and partners have every day.

    Whether you’re welcoming visitors, supporting cleaning or our enterprise operations, assisting with events, or stepping into one of our Historic Character roles, this is a chance to experience the Museum from a completely different perspective.

    Think of it as a shadowing or immersion experience – an opportunity to step away from your usual routine, connect with colleagues across departments, and gain valuable insight into the day-to-day realities of visitor-facing work.

    Why get involved?

    • Contribute directly to our strategic priority to deliver excellence in every experience
    • Build stronger relationships across teams
    • Gain a fresh perspective on how the Museum operates day to day
    • Develop a deeper understanding of the visitor experience and what excellence looks like in practice
    • Experience the challenges, pace, and rewards of frontline roles
    • Step away from the desk and experience the Museum in action

    How it works

    A range of shifts are available across different teams and locations. You can sign up: Back to the floor Sign up

    On the sign up sheet you’ll find:

    • Dates and times for all available shifts
    • Details of what each role involves
    • Guidance on what to wear
    • Building notes for anyone taking part in Historic Character roles

    Managers have been closely involved in planning the initiative and are fully supportive of colleague participation. Time away from normal duties will be accommodated to ensure everyone has the opportunity to take part, as participation in Back to the Floor is mandatory for all office-based colleagues.

    We hope you’ll take this opportunity to learn something new, meet colleagues from across the Museum, and experience a different side of what we do. Most importantly, this initiative is about ensuring we all play our part in delivering excellence in every experience – for every visitor, every colleague and every interaction.

    We hope you’ll take this opportunity to learn something new, meet colleagues from across the Museum, and experience a different side of what we do.

    Let’s get back to the floor – together – and deliver excellence in every experience!

    Building notes:

  • Strategic Directions Drop-in Sessions update

    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.
  • Our Kid of the Month – The Results!!! 

    Our Kid of the Month – The Results!!! 

    Thank you to everyone who took the time to nominate your colleagues for their GREAT contribution to Our Bostin Promise. We received a total of 53 votes across 11 departments.
    Our Bostin Promise Postcards

    2 postcards were given out this month:

    • “Care” by Jon White to Kirsty Clarke for her work supporting a child with additional needs who was struggling to leave the shop to carry on with their visit happily.
    • “Welcome” by Carla Jasper to Ezra Brueton for going above and beyond welcoming overseas visitors from Spain in Spanish.

    Managers and Supervisors have these cards that they can give out to colleagues in recognition of their work on Our Bostin Promise.

    Our Kid

    • Sam Davies – Finance Team 

    Sam received 5 votes from across the organisation for her outstanding work on implementing our new ticketing system FuseMetrix. Her attention to detail, incredible knowledge, care for others in the process whilst delivering the project on schedule were mentioned several times. Feedback showed that she hit all 4 pillars of the Bostin Promise.

    Runners Up

    • Demi Whitehouse – Enterprise
    • Josh Cuthbert – Enterprise
    • Richard Abbott – Historic Character
    • Wallace Hill – Historic Character
    • Melanie Penn – Cleaning Team

    It’s been heartwarming to read all the nominations so do take a look. Every nomination submitted for April can be found: Our Bostin Promise Nominations April 2026. Winners will receive their vouchers at the upcoming briefings on 5, 7 & 9 May.

    Details of how scoring has been applied are set out below.

    Scoring Criteria

    You will receive one score for each nomination received using the “Not so Good to Great” Ladder criteria.
    Ok
    Positive interaction
    Doing your job well
    1
    Good
    High level of satisfaction
    Proactive and Adaptive
    Positive outcome
    2
    Great
    Above and beyond
    Sometimes outside of your role
    Exceed expectations
    3
    You can gain extra points by…
    A vote from somebody in another department
    +1
    Meeting all 4 pillars of Our Bostin Promise
    +1
    In a tiebreaker situation…
    Have you received a nomination from another department?
    +1
    Is feedback received varied?
    +1
    Have you met more pillars of Our Bostin Promise?
    +1

    Reminders

    • Don’t forget any votes received after 12pm on 30 April will be counted in May – and voting is already open!
    • A gentle reminder that each colleague should only vote once per month, multiple votes will be discounted.
    • You have until 12pm on 31st May to vote.
    • There will always be 6 winners in total – the highest scoring being Our Kid of the Month with 5 runners up; 2 from Enterprise, 2 from Historic Characters and 2 from all other departments.

    Voting for May is open!

    Or complete a slip and post in the white boxes across all break areas.

  • Strategic Directions Drop-in Sessions, May 2026

    Strategic Directions Drop-in Sessions, May 2026

    At January RESET, we shared the Museum’s overall strategy and the direction for each team. We’re now opening up a series of informal drop-in sessions to take a closer look at how these are being delivered.
    This is a chance to hear directly from colleagues about their priorities, ask questions, and see how the bigger picture connects across the organisation.
    Session schedule:
    • Mon 11 May – Operations (Nick Sellers)
    • Tue 12 May – Cultural Enterprises (Kate Kirkpatrick)
    • Wed 13 May – Public Programmes (Janine Downes)
    • Thu 14 May – Finance (Diane Harvey)
    • Mon 18 May – Development & Communications (Hannah Parsons)
    • Tue 19 May – Interpretation & Collections (Matthew Cowpe)

    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.

     

    If you’re not able to attend in person you are welcome to join online. Links will be sent out nearer the time.

     

    To take part, please sign up using the link here – ​Strategic Directions Drop-in Sessions​ or contact [email protected], or drop into the Hartill’s office.

  • Another major funding success for the Museum

    Another major funding success for the Museum

    Another major funding success for the Museum

    We’re delighted to share that the Museum has secured £454,159 from the Museum Estate and Development Fund (MEND), delivered by Arts Council England, to carry out essential repairs to five historic buildings across the site

    This is fantastic news for the organisation – and comes just after the success of our recent DCMS/Wolfson funding announcement, reinforcing the strength of our programme and the confidence being placed in the Museum at a national level.

    Culture Secretary, Lisa Nandy said: “The Black Country Living Museum is an iconic place where local history comes alive for visitors from all backgrounds. Famous as a filming location for Peaky Blinders, it draws people from across the country and beyond. This £454,159 investment will protect five at-risk historic buildings, ensuring this iconic space remains safe and open for everyone to enjoy. Places like this are irreplaceable. They tell the story of our communities and the people who built them, and this government is committed to ensuring venues like this can continue to share our national story at a local level for future generations to come.”

    What this funding will support

    The investment will fund vital roof and structural works to ensure key buildings across the site remain safe, accessible and fit for purpose.

    The five buildings included in this project are:

    • Trap Works
    • Rolfe Street Learning & Conference Centre
    • The Drift Mine
    • Collections Centre
    • Bradburn & Wedge Motor Garage

    These are the spaces that underpin so much of what we do – from immersive visitor experiences and learning programmes to collections care and behind-the-scenes operations.

    Why it matters

    This funding is a significant vote of confidence in the Museum – recognising both the importance of our collection and the impact of our work in championing the Black Country and its communities.

    It ensures we can continue to:

    • Care for our buildings and collections
    • Support our teams and volunteers
    • Deliver high-quality experiences for visitors
    • Build for the future with confidence

    A big thank you

    A huge thank you to everyone involved in developing the bid and supporting this work.

    This is a shared success across the Museum – and another important step in securing our future.

  • All Colleague Briefings May 2026

    All Colleague Briefings May 2026

    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 for 2026.
    These briefings will take place on:
    • Tuesday 5 May (The Workers’ Institute)
    • Thursday 7 May (Hall 2)
    • Saturday 9 May (The Workers’ Institute)

    All the briefings 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 Briefing May 2026

    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.
  • 🎫Ticket Swap Ballot update 🎉

    🎫Ticket Swap Ballot update 🎉

    The ticket swap ballot has now been drawn, and we’re pleased to share that everyone who entered has successfully won tickets.

    We apologise for the delay in confirming the ballot. This was due to waiting for some tickets to arrive from participating attractions.

    For those who won digital codes, these have been sent via email where possible. Please check your inbox, as well as your junk/spam folders, for a message from [email protected].

    If you have not received an email or Planday message containing your digital codes, physical tickets are available for collection from the People Office.

    Please note that the People Office is open Monday to Friday, 8:00am–5:00pm.

    For any questions please email [email protected]