Meetings – and the Mersey: Volunteer Makers summer schedule

Hot sun was matched by hot demand for Volunteer Makers blend of micro-volunteering and digital engagement.

Love Falmouth Volunteer Makers have been spreading the word at Cornwall’s Brilliant Things conference.

Tamsin Bough and Sarah Scot, of Falmouth Art Gallery, spoke to the meeting on growing relationships with volunteers.

The conference – organised by the Cornish Museum Partnership – heard how Love Falmouth Volunteers (a partnership of cultural organisations led by Falmouth Art Gallery) use of the Volunteer Makers platform has not only brought new supporters to its members, but strengthened institutions’ links with the local community.

Early July saw a regular event in the VM calendar: attendance at the South West Fed’s annual conference in Exeter.

Volunteer Makers were among the sponsors of the event and had a trade stand at it. VM founder Claire Sully also gave a presentation on the VM concept to delegates.

South Wed Fed is a community of independent heritage organisations throughout South West England.

Claire Sully said: “Volunteer Makers, as an Arts Council England supported programme, first got lift off at the South West Fed Conference 2015 after a networking chat.

“We’re now working with over 70 organisations and love returning to where it all began, starting new conversations to see where they might take us next.”

One place they took Claire was from the south-west to the north-west, with a visit to Liverpool for the latest in Volunteer Makers’ rolling programme of training workshops.

Volunteer Makers worked with University of Liverpool Museums & Galleries to spread the word on how its digital and blended volunteering approach can manage, evaluate and enhance working with volunteers and supporters.

The group includes a quirky museum and well-regarded gallery in the Victoria Building – an architectural icon in itself, as well as a world-class museum of archaeology at Garstang.