ATHELSTAN MUSEUM MEMBER NUMBERS SOAR AS VOLUNTEERS CELEBRATE SUCCESS

The Athelstan Museum in Malmesbury is once again thriving as its membership now exceeds pre-Covid figures with 430 members contributing to its success including 75 regular volunteers.

The museum, which is now best known as the home of renowned artist JMW Turner’s watercolour of Malmesbury Abbey, had to close its doors during the pandemic and lost around ten of its volunteers.

Along with the closure itself, this created a challenge for the museum, which takes its community engagement responsibilities very seriously and prides itself on ordinarily being open six days a week, 49 weeks of the year. Post pandemic the team had to work hard to not only get the Turner on display, yet also to get the museum back on track.

Susan Mockler, vice-chair of the Athelstan Museum management team explains why the museum is now thriving again. 

“Our member numbers are significantly up on pre-Covid figures, with 430 people, which is nearly 100 more than we had before the pandemic,” she says. 

“What’s particularly interesting is that a number of those new members are international and found us during lockdown. It’s lovely to have membership from home and abroad and for us to know that the history and heritage of Malmesbury is reaching all corners of the globe!” 

This is also reflected in the numbers visiting the museum’s website with 7,220 users from various countries including America, New Zealand, South Africa and Sweden with a total number of website visitors of 18,396 in the last 12 months.  

The Museum also says its following on social media, including Facebook and Twitter has significantly increased and the number of people who have signed up to their mailing list is at an all-time high.

Sharon Nolan is chair of the museum’s trustees. She said:

“Athelstan Museum is very fortunate to have a steady team of very valued volunteers.  A good number of them have been loyal to us for many years. Over the last year we have recruited new volunteers who may have been recommended by word of mouth or may be newly resident in the town.  

“Volunteering in the museum is a great way to meet new people, learn about the history of Malmesbury and contribute in a positive way to the community. There are different roles, on the front desk, helping with our amazing collection, education and outreach, exhibitions, events or the museum shop. There is something for everyone.’

With volunteer numbers being back up to pre-pandemic levels, 75 local people now generously donate their time on a day to day basis to help the Athelstan go from strength to strength. 

Volunteers are vital to the museum’s ability to thrive as a community hub and are an important touch point for visitors, especially school groups. The management team believe the growing success of the Athelstan has been significantly increased by the hard work of the volunteers, who were instrumental in the acquisition of the Turner watercolour. 

The added high profile provided by the Turner painting and collections such as the Malmesbury Coin Hoard — a collection of more than 1,200 Roman coins discovered by a metal-detecting enthusiast in a Wiltshire field ten years ago — has helped drive the museum’s success.

The museum has also been taking history outside of its walls to local schools and out into the community. An example of this included Sue Poolman delivered an engaging talk about the acquisition and history of the Turner painting to local residential homes, all of which were gifted a framed print of the watercolour. 

“Our accessibility to the people of Malmesbury is really important to us,” says Susan Mockler, “and we consider ourselves to be a crucial point of access for anyone interested in the heritage of the area and the collections we hold. We look after objects that provide us with so much information about our past and tell the story of the local area, but those objects wouldn’t have any tales to tell us without the people who made them part of their lives. We want to engage with the community more and more because, when it comes down to it, it’s people who have helped make our history and continue to help us keep those stories alive for future generations.”

To become a member involves a commitment to donate at least £12 a year or £200 to secure a life-time membership. For more information about the Museum and how to become a member or volunteer, visit: https://www.athelstanmuseum.org.uk/