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  • A Black Country Mystery Context Sheet

    A Black Country Mystery Context Sheet

    Date: Sat 5th September
    Time: 5:30pm – 9:30pm

    We are very excited to be hosting our first public murder mystery event, A Black Country Mystery, this Saturday 5th September! And we are completely sold out!

    The event will be an immersive murder mystery event set in 1920s, where visitors are invited to time travel back to 1928 to help solve a previously unsolved murder. Visitors will be able to explore parts of the site, find clues and meet suspects to try and solve the crime. The event will include a 3 course meal and two drinks (one on arrival and one with the meal), and the visitors will get to explore and immerse themselves in our site, giving a unique, “Secret Cinema” vibe to the event.

    For more information, please see the context sheet. Any questions, please direct to the programme lead, Jozey Grae, at [email protected].

  • Weather Update – Adaptations on Wednesday 24 and Thursday 25 June

    Weather Update – Adaptations on Wednesday 24 and Thursday 25 June

    Dear colleagues,

    We have been closely monitoring the continued updates from the Met Office regarding the hot weather conditions forecast for Wednesday 24 and Thursday 25 June.

    The Museum will remain open, and the adverse weather response group has met and decided on the adaptations outlined below. We’ve been working on these changes so that we can safely open, both to provide a safe working environment for colleagues and a great experience for our visitors.

    We have made the following adaptations for our visitors:

    • We will be adapting outdoor tours and demonstrations and delivering these as talks in more shady areas.
    • Although Thursday is usually a dog entry day, we will not be allowing entry to dogs this Thursday.
    • Cups for water will be available from food and drink outlets, and ice will be available from the Elephant & Castle Pub.
    • While Hobbs’ Fish and Chip Shop will be closed, all other usual food and drink outlets will open as normal.
    • While our usual historic transport will not be running, we will still have Doris (our accessible transport) available for those who require it.
    • Additional fans will be provided where possible.
    • The Peaky Blinders Filming Location Tours on Wednesday will go ahead with a slightly adapted route.

    For any colleagues who usually work in Canalside Offices, we ask that if you can safely do so, please work from home. This will allow us to make more space in this office for those who are required to work at the Museum to access air-conditioned spaces for hot-desking and for taking breaks. When working from home, please do follow our usual guidance on working safely.

    To ensure the air-conditioning is at its most efficient and can provide an adequate cool space for breaks, all windows and blinds must be kept closed in Canalside Offices and air-conditioning must remain on.

    For colleagues who are required to be on-site:

    • Break spaces will be made available in Canalside Offices and a classroom in the Learning Centre, so that front line colleagues have access to air-conditioned spaces during breaks. For Canalside, this includes the three meeting rooms as well as the kitchen.
    • Front line colleagues will have an increased number of breaks.
    • For office-based colleagues who are not based in Canalside Offices and need to be on-site, we encourage you to hot-desk in Canalside so that you can access air-conditioning. Office spaces will close at 5pm, so office based colleagues will need to leave before 5pm.
    • Water will be provided in billy-cans in all historic settings, and we encourage you to bring water bottles with you.
    • There are sunscreen stations available for all in the following rest areas: Guide Hut, Doo’s, and the Infant Welfare Centre. There is also sunscreen available in the cleaning team rest area.
    • For all hourly paid front-line colleagues, you will be paid for your full shift and the unworked hours will be offset with training at a later date.

     

    If you’re here at the Museum, please remember our top tips for sun safety:

    • Ensure that you drink plenty of water – please do bring water bottles.
    • If you are working outside, please make use of the shade wherever possible. For guides, please bring an umbrella to use as shade while moving around the site and stop off at water stations where needed.
    • Apply factor 30+ sunscreen.
    • Avoid heavy or tight-fitting clothing.

    For any colleagues who have any questions or concerns regarding the above, please contact your line manager.

     

    Thank you,
    Museum team

  • 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.

  • People News May 2026

    People News May 2026

    Welcomes

     

    This month Kyle Salmon, Owen Larkens, Amy Churm and Melanie Toy have been successful in gaining a contracted position in the Enterprise Team, all 4 were previously engaged as casual team members.

     

    We have also welcomed a number of casuals to the Enterprise and Cleaning & Recycling Teams.

     

    Please join us in giving them all a warm welcome when you see them on site.

     

    Changes

     

    The work of our People Team; Following Hayley Boswell’s return from maternity leave at the beginning of May and a review of the needs of the Museum, Hayley will be returning to focus on a number of important projects, including developing our People Strategy, reviewing and implementing a Pay & Grading Framework, and further developing the Museum’s Manager Hub.

     

    Susannah Green will continue with the day-to-day management of People work, as Susannah has been doing during Hayley’s maternity leave, including continuing management of the People Team, and continue to report to Andrew.

     

    We will review this arrangement in three months’ time to make sure they are supporting the needs of staff and the Museum.

     

    Farwell’s

     

    In May we say goodbye to Martin Crage from the Cleaning & Recycling team and Carol Johnson, Colin MacDonald and Alex Orchin from the Historic Characters team.

     

    We thank them all for their contributions and wish them every success for the future

  • Mental Health Awareness Week: Wellbeing Support Through Perkbox

    Mental Health Awareness Week: Wellbeing Support Through Perkbox

    As part of Mental Health Awareness Week (12–18 May) and our ongoing commitment to Health & Wellbeing, colleagues with access to Perkbox can take part in virtual Wellbeing Assessments from 13 May.

    The assessment will help those who would like to better understand their wellbeing and learn more about the support available through Perkbox. You will receive clear insights and practical steps to help you feel and function better.

    The assessments are based on clinically validated non-diagnostic scales and are aimed to measure wellbeing, not provide diagnosis. The Wellbeing index has been developed by the World Health Organisation.

    Please note that all responses are completely anonymous.

  • 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.

  • 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.
  • Introducing: Bostin’ Promise Recognition

    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.

  • Blue Monday 💙

    Blue Monday 💙

    Blue Monday is a term used to describe what is often called the most depressing day of the year, usually falling on a Monday in January.

    January can feel long, the weather can be grey, and energy levels can dip. While “Blue Monday” isn’t a scientific concept, it can still be a helpful reminder to pause, check in with ourselves, and look out for one another.

    If today feels a bit heavier than usual, please remember you’re not on your own and support is available:

    • Employee Assistance Programme (EAP): Confidential support for personal, emotional, or practical concerns. You can access this anytime – details are available on the intranet.
    • Mental Health First Aiders (MHFA): Our trained MHFAs are available for a confidential, informal conversation if you’d like to talk things through.
    • People Team: If work or personal circumstances are affecting you, the People Team is here to listen and help explore supportive options.

    You might also want to:

    • Take a short break if you can
    • Step away from your screen
    • Grab a coffee or a glass of water
    • Get some fresh air or stretch your legs
    • Check in with a colleague

    Small pauses can make a difference.

    Please take care of yourselves and each other, and don’t hesitate to reach out if you need support – today or any other day. 💙

  • Pam Ryan Funeral Procession

    Back in December, we shared the sad news that our former colleague, Pam Ryan, had passed away. Pam’s funeral is due to take place on 3 February 2026.

    For colleagues working that day, and for those not working who wish to come in and to pay their respects as the hearse passes the Museum, you are welcome to congregate along the 30s Street between approximately 10:00 and 10:30am.