We are delighted to announce that two of our volunteer submissions have been chosen to be finalists at the West Midlands Museum Development Awards! Read on to find out more about our nominees and their categories.
Museum Champion: Roger Howells
Roger Howells passed away earlier this year. We felt that his dedication to the Trust through volunteering for a whopping twenty-two years, his limitless knowledge of our RSC records within the collections team and his ability to bring these to life, has given the judges reason to make his memory and legacy a finalist for the awards. Roger’s exceptional work ethic meant he always produced work to an extremely high standard, and Roger’s passion and encyclopaedic knowledge of Shakespeare, which he was always keen to share with other researchers, made him a crucial part of the Trust. His fantastic work on the production records, among other projects, has made a lasting impact to theatre studies here at Shakespeare Birthplace Trust.
Warmest Welcome: Janet Palmer
Janet Palmer started volunteering for the Trust as an Access Volunteer just before Shakespeare's New Place was due to open. Janet has particularly contributed to the Access Panel with her extensive knowledge of autism and has helped run events for Disabled Access Day. She has devoted much of her time to making the New Place site more accessible, assisting with the idea to introduce Makaton and going above and beyond by providing support and training sessions to the New Place team on making the site Makaton Friendly. Janet has further supported the project through creating a sensory trail at New Place and is continuously researching innovative ways to improve our use of Makaton. Her dedication to inclusivity and making sure everyone can enjoy Shakespeare makes her a real asset to the team.
You can find out more about the categories and other finalists on the West Midlands Museum Development website.
It is wonderful for our volunteers to be shortlisted as it truly highlights the fantastic work all of our volunteers are contributing to. Find out more about how you can volunteer at the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust.