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Category: TV Feed Main News

  • All Staff Briefings: Andrew Lovett’s perspective (January 2023)

    At the recent All Staff Briefings, Andrew Lovett, our Chief Executive, reflected on the highlights of 2022 as well as looking ahead to 2023. He also posed three questions for everyone to think about; see the end of this post.

    Our people

    We have a great team. We all have our part to play. But, there are inter-relationships between us all. We support each other, and success by someone supports the success of someone else. Do a great job and learn from each other.

    Reputation and profile

    Both largely very positive. We see a universal respect for the Museum from local, regional and national government, and our peers in the world of museums and heritage, and increasingly from businesses. And visitors, we overwhelmingly get it right. Reading reviews on TripAdvisor are a good way of seeing what our visitors think.

    Sustainability

    Our financial position at the year-end is better than we budgeted. Local and regional market continues to be strong for us. Events have been good and general admissions strong. Schools are weaker, with more factors out of our control to reverse the trend. Memberships are the strongest we have ever seen.

    Building openings

    There will be multiple openings from Forging Ahead this year, including the row of shops – Stanton’s Music Shop, West Bromwich Building Society, Marsh & Baxter’s Butchers, Minett’s Ladies Fashions, Laurie Thomas Hairdressers and Burgin’s Newsagents, plus the Weighbridge – by mid-June. The Infant Welfare Centre by early September, and the Cast Iron Houses and Industrial Area by mid-October.

    Our new Learning Centre will be a great new facility, and one of the ways in which we intend to attract back schools. It will be opening in April.

    Arts Council England investment

    We are on the final furlong of finalising the funding agreement with Arts Council England, which will see almost £2.3m invested, including £600,000 to support Key Stage 1 school children across the Black Country.

    Relationship with visitors

    We have seen growth in the use of the Unchained Pass and Membership. Turning first-time visitors into loyalists is how we will succeed. We have set a forecast of 400,000 visitors for this year. And we have increased admission prices for the first time in a couple of years, linked to our strategy to create long-term relationships and that emotional connection to the Museum. If we reach our forecast of 400,000, we’ll be welcoming our 11 millionth visitor by December.

    Equality, Diversity & Inclusion

    This will continue to be integral to our work, impacting the breadth of our storylines, staffing and our Board of Trustees. It is important so that we are better reflecting modern society, breaking down barriers and tapping into the full range of skills and experience available to us.

    New Strategic Plan

    Work on this has already got underway. As a project, it is being led by Vicki Stanley and Carolyn Sankey (Co-Directors of Development), and they will be setting out very soon how you can get involved.

    A big thanks to you all. You make me a very proud Chief Executive.

    Over to you

    Andrew also posed the following three questions for you to think about:

    1. We all buy things and services to solve a problem(s).  If you think of the Museum in this way, what problem(s) are we solving for visitors?
    2. During your time at the Museum – long or short – what do you think is the biggest lesson we have learnt, or should have learnt?
    3. What would you like to see the Museum achieve over the next 10 years? Or if that’s a bit too far ahead to think about, what about by 2028, when the Museum will celebrate its 50th anniversary?

    Please share your thoughts and feedback to Andrew by emailing [email protected] by 6 February 2023.

  • Eulogies for George Price

    The wake for George Price, a long-standing and much-valued volunteer, was held last week.

    Three eulogies were delivered remembering George and his contribution to the Museum, particularly the rediscovery and excavation of Brook Shaft. Please click the links below if you would like to read what was said.

     

     

  • Need some space?

    Need some space?

    The Museum has opened the doors to a new wellbeing room, located above Doo’s Chemist shop in the Village.

    This will be a designated safe place for reflection or, a room to host a private wellbeing meeting to safely discuss ideas.

    Please note, this is not a break out area or lunch space. 

    Enjoy.

     

  • Visitor Centre – important information

    Visitor Centre – important information

    Hi all,

    We will need to carry out a deep clean of the Visitor Centre flooring ahead of the Drift Mine Press day and of course Saturday when we reopen to the public. As you may have noticed, the floor in the Visitor Centre reacts to the salt used to grit outside and so we need to make sure that these deep cleans take place when the Visitor Centre is not in use to try and keep them looking presentable for visitors.

    Thursday (In preparation for the Mine Press day): We will be closing the LG Level of VC from this evening (18th) to enable the cleaning team to get a head start on this area so please walk around the building if you need to access the entry level. We will also be using the barriers to create a smaller walk way to the café/ toilets for staff attending the training tomorrow (19th) so that the other side of the atrium can be treated and we ask that all staff stick to this marked walk way and try to leave VC promptly once training ends to allow the team to complete the deep clean.

    Friday (in preparation for Saturday Opening): We will close VC as soon as the Mine press day is finished and the cleaning team will then clean all floors ready for opening on Saturday morning.

    For staff needing to use VC before we open on Saturday, there will again be a walkway to follow to ensure minimal impact to the floors.

    Thank you for your cooperation.

  • Underground mine experience: reopens Sat 21 Jan

    Underground mine experience: reopens Sat 21 Jan

    Our underground mine experience is back, giving visitors the chance to learn how Black Country mines were run, find out how timber props were used to support the roofs and experience the harsh reality of a coal miner’s life in the mid-19th century, especially for ‘little Billy’ who started working down the mine at just 10-years-old.

    Visitor information

    • The underground mine experience is included in the price of general admission.
    • Tours are limited to small groups and run regularly throughout the day.
    • Visitors will spend approximately 30 minutes underground with their guide.
    • There are areas where the height is limited so visitors will need to bend and crouch for a short moment to access some of the tunnels.
    • Visitors will be required to wear a helmet while underground and are to stay with their designated tour guide at all times.
    • The underground mine experience is not accessible for wheelchairs or people with limited mobility.
    • The minimum recommended age is 8-years-old. Pushchairs are not allowed.

    Mining in the Black Country

    For centuries, the Black Country was renowned for its mining, helping the region to earn its reputation as ‘black by day, red by night’ owing to the blackened and scarred terrain created by heavy industry and the smoke that filled the air.

    The area was home to the famous ‘Staffordshire Thick’, a single seam of coal some 10 yards in thickness that lay beneath much of the Black Country. It was the thickest coal seam in the UK and the greatest energy resource of the Industrial Revolution.

    As you head underground in a recreated small Black Country coal pit, you will be able to experience the darkness a miner endured, explore a maze of roadways and working areas, and hear what ‘Elija Wedge’ has to say about the world of an 1850s Black Country coal miner.

    You will learn how the mines were run and how timber props were used to support the roofs, as well as facing the harsh reality of a coal miner’s life in the mid-19th century, especially for ‘little Billy’ who started working down the mine at just 10 years old.

    Audio-visual techniques bring to life the sounds and feelings that would have accompanied a miner’s day, from the tapping of pickaxes to the whinnying of a pit pony and the rumble of a nearby collapse.

  • Site updates: Village power supply and cable works

    Village power supply: a temporary repair has been successfully completed and the two generators currently on site will be collected next week. We will be working on a long-term solution to replace the village power supply over the coming months.

    Electric feed to Lavenders: the road will be closed tomorrow, Friday 12 January, between the Industrial Area and Lenches to allow access for Balfour Beatty cable works. It may run on more than one day, in which case the road may remain closed into next week.

     

  • Red By Night – programme overview

    Event overview 

    Date(s): Fri 24 Mar & Sat 25 Mar

    Concept: Exploring Living Industrial History when the Black Country was ‘Red By Night’ because of the factories and machines that were working 24 hours a day. We will opperate some of our industrial machines such as the Anchor Forge and have guest engines positioned around the site.

    Staff Tickets: All staff will receive 50% off Red by Night tickets. (You are allocated four tickets for family and friends at 50% off).

    If you would like to purchase tickets for this event please visit our Sales and Ticketing team in Canalside. Our team can only accept card payments. 

    Themes: Industry, engines and machines.

    Please read the Red by Night Overview thoroughly to familiarise yourself with the programme and offers available.

    Thank you.

    [embeddoc url=”http://intranet.bclm.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/2023-Red-By-Night.pdf” download=”all” viewer=”google”]

     

  • Discover Dudley employee discount card 2023

    Hi all,

    The Discover Dudley employee discount card has been developed to assist front-line staff to learn more about the visitor attractions and tourism businesses within Dudley Borough and to cross-promote the visitor attractions to the visiting public at our venues. This is aimed at front-line staff who are in contact with the public and who can cross-promote the participating venues across the borough.

    The enables staff members to visit attractions for free or at a reduced rate in addition to offering reduced rates for family members who you may wish to bring with you.

    Please familiarise yourself with the Discover Dudley employee discount card 2023 application form, and terms and conditions for the Visitor Attractions Group. Claire Packer (Head of Audiences & Communications) will need to counter-sign your application, as she attends the Dudley Attractions Group meeting. Please leave your application form in the Audiences & Communications pigeonhole in Canalside.

    Thank you and happy exploring!

     

  • Our underground mine experience

    Our underground mine experience

    Some of you may have seen a photograph on our social media platforms last night – a photo of a mine safety lamp standing proudly on a heap of coal. This is the start of a social media series of images and videos that will tease the reopening of ‘Into the Thick’, our underground mine experience.

    Although we are not confirming a date to the general public yet, we are aiming to have the underground mine experience open within the next month.

    Please do share our social media posts to help build excitement, but please don’t share the date of the reopening on social media yet.

    More information will be shared over the coming weeks for those who have never experienced ‘Into the Thick’.

  • Safe Together at BCLM: Burns and scalds

    Each month we will be implementing safety notices to ensure all staff at BCLM are kept as safe as possible. This month will focus on preventing burns and scalds. 

    There are steps we can all take to make certain we all stay safe when we, or those around us, are cooking or working with fire and heat.

    1. Wear suitable clothing – Ensure you wear suitable gloves and long sleeves as appropriate.
    2. Take your time – Do not rush any task involving heat.
    3. Be mindful of what others are doing – Don’t distract those handling hot objects or working with fire.
    4. Be vigilant – Follow risk assessments and report any concerns to your manager.
    5. See it, report it – Report any accidents immediately so that first aid can be provided

    You may see this poster dotted around the Museum, however if you would like to read the fire safety notice now, please click here: Burns & Scalds

    If you have any concerns, please contact your Line Manager.

    Thank you.