Forward Planning at Thornbury & District Museum · established as a museum since 1986. Thornbury...

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Contents

◊ Introduction:GoodPracticeCaseStudies

◊ Thornbury&DistrictMuseum:CaseStudy

◊ ThornburyMuseumForwardPlan2013to2015

Introduction:GoodPracticeCaseStudies

ThiscasestudyisoneofaseriesofGoodPracticeCaseStudies,researchedandwrittenbytheCollectionsTrust,andfundedbyArtsCouncilEngland.ThesecasestudiesillustratehowAccreditedmuseumshavedevelopedtheirstrategyandpolicytomeettheneedsoftheirownservices,aswellastomeettheAccreditationStandard.Thecasestudiesfocusonhowtheprocessofdevelopingstrategyandpolicyimpactsontheshapeandqualityoftheservicethecasestudymuseumsdeliver.

ThiscasestudyfocussesontheprocessofforwardplanningatThornbury&DistrictMuseum,Thornbury,Gloucestershire,andhowthatprocesshastransformedtheservicethatthemuseumoffers,andalsosupporteditsAccreditationReturn.AlthoughtheAccreditationStandardrequiresthateveryAccreditedmuseumshouldhaveaForwardPlan,itisnottheintentionoftheschemethattheplanshouldbedevelopedforthepurposeofachievingormaintainingAccreditedstatus.Rather,theschemesupportsmuseumsinaforwardplanningprocess,inwhichtheywillalreadybeengaged;itprovidesafocusandaframeworkwhichsupportstheplanningprocess,contextualisingtheplanwiththemuseum’sotherareasofpractice.

ForwardPlanningatThornbury&DistrictMuseum

GoodPracticeCaseStudies

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ThornburyMuseumsForwardPlanasanexemplarofgoodpractice‘TheThornburyandDistrictHeritageTrustforwardplanstoodoutasbeingveryprofessionallypresented,welldetailedandhonestinitsidentificationofcurrentandfutureprioritiesforthemuseum.OneofthefeaturesIlikedabouttheplanwasthatachievingAccreditationwasidentifiedasoneoftheorganisationalaimsandthatcorrespondingobjectiveshadbeenset.Thisseemedreallyappropriateforatypeoneindependentmuseumandsupportedtheforwardplannarrativewhichindicatedhowthemuseumhadbeenalittledauntedbythe2011AccreditationStandardrequirementsandtheamountofworkinvolved.

Inhighlightinganaimtoretaintheaward,themuseumshowedthatitvaluedAccreditation,wasabletoapplyandadaptthisframeworkasamanagementtoolandrecognisedtheneedforgoodplanningtosupporttheprocess,bothintheleaduptopreparingthereturnandthroughouttheassessmentperiod.

Thecontentslistonthefrontpagewasanicetouchasitimmediatelysignpostedtomethattheplanhadbeenstructuredagainstthe2011AccreditationStandardrequirements.TheplanwaslongerthanI’dusuallyexpectforamuseumofthisscalebutitwasextremelythoroughandIwasabletounderstandalotabouttheorganisationfromthissingledocument.Ratherthansimplylistingachievementsinthereviewsectionthemuseumhadalsoconsideredwhereexistingobjectiveshadbeenchanged,delayedorwerenolongerseenasapriority.Theoperatingenvironmentwasalsoanalysedratherthansimplydescribed,sothisgavemeamuchbetterunderstandingofthechallengesfacedbythemuseumparticularlyaroundfundraising.Consultationandresourceplanning(bothworkforceandfinancial)werealsowelldeveloped.

AspartoftheassessmentfeedbackIidentifiedanareaofimprovementwhichwastoconsidertheclarityandformattingofactionplanninginsupportofforwardplanningobjectives.Themuseummayliketoconsiderusingatableformattosupportthiselementoftheplan.Wediscussedthissuggestionaspartofmyverificationvisittothemuseumanditwasintendedasapossiblefuturerefinementofanalreadyexcellentforwardplan.’

AnnetteFrench,AccreditationAssessor

‘InmytenyearsinmuseumsI’venotcomeacrossavolunteer-runmuseumwithsuchhighstandardsofcollectionsmanagement.Theyhaveaverycohesiveanddedicatedteamtherewhoarecommittedtomaintainingstandardsineveryaspectofthecollections.’

Thornbury&DistrictMuseumMentor

AccreditationandtheForwardPlan

TheMuseumAccreditationStandardrequiresAccreditedMuseumstosubmittheirForwardPlanwiththeirAccreditationReturn.ThestandarddescribesaForwardPlanasfollows:

1.4Effectiveforwardplanning.

Themuseummustplaneffectivelyforlong-termsuccessandtomakesureitcanadaptina

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changingenvironmentinordertosurvive.Itsapprovedforwardplansmustincludeorcoverthefollowing:

• 1.4.1 themuseum’sstatementofpurpose• 1.4.2 areviewofthepreviousforwardplan• 1.4.3 ananalysisoftheenvironmentinwhichitexists• 1.4.4 consultationandananalysisofviews• 1.4.5 itskeyaims• 1.4.6 thespecificobjectivesbeneatheachkeyaim• 1.4.7 howitwillachieveitsobjectives• 1.4.8 aresourceplanshowingthepeopleandmoneyavailabletomeetits

objectives• 1.4.9 thedatetheplanwillbereviewed(AccreditationStandard,1.OrganisationalHealth,1.4EffectiveForwardPlanning.ArtsCouncilEngland,2011,page8)

TheForwardPlanisthereforeadocumentapprovedatgoverningbodylevel,whichdefinesamuseum’sstrategicdirection,andisdrivendirectlybyitsstatementofpurpose.Itidentifieshighlevelmuseumwideobjectives,andtranslatesthoseobjectivesintospecificplannedactivities,withresourcesallocatedtothoseactivities.Itisbothastrategicandoperationalplan,whichisthecentraldriverandmanagementtool,formuseumpurposeandservices.KeytothesuccessoftheForwardPlanisthatitenablesthemuseumtoadaptinachangingenvironmentthroughanon-goingprocessofreviewandamendment.WithinthecontextoftheAccreditationStandarditinformsalowertierofmoredetailedplans,suchastheDocumentationPlan,andtheCareandConservationPlan.

Thornbury&DistrictMuseum:CaseStudy

Thornbury&DistrictMuseum

Thornbury&DistrictMuseumisavibrantandlivelyorganisation,whereallmuseumstaffarevolunteers,assistedbyaMuseumMentor.Theatmosphereiswelcomingandstaff

workhardtointegratethemuseumanditsservicesintothewidercommunity.Skillsofindividualmembersofstaffareacknowledgedandutilised–themuseumhasa‘flat’organisationalstructure,encouragingahighdegreeofflexibilityandautonomyforindividuals,balancedbycyclesofopenreviewandsharingofplanningprocesses.ThemuseumhaswiderangingnetworksthroughoutThornburyandthesurroundingarea.Itisanoutwardfacinginclusiveservice,anddeservesthedescriptionofatruly‘participatory

museum’:theservicesaredrivenbythecommunity,andthecommunitydrivestheservices.

©Thornbury&DistrictMuseum

Reception&shopatThornburyMuseum

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Thornbury&DistrictMuseumChapelStreet,Thornbury,SouthGloucestershire,BS352BJhttp://www.thornburymuseum.org.uk/

The museum, its purpose and the collection:‘OurpurposeistointerpretanddocumentthecultureandheritageofThornburyandtheLowerSevernValefortheeducationandenjoymentofthepublic,throughtheuseofaccessiblepermanentcollections,temporarydisplays,lectures&events,andtodosotonationalstandardsofbestpractice.Weaimtocreatealively,friendly,accessibleandusefulfacilityrelevanttoallmembersofthepublic.’

ThornburyMuseumisanindependentmuseum,whichgrewfromabequestbyalocalhistorian.Ithasbeenestablishedasamuseumsince1986.ThornburyinterpretsanddocumentsthecultureandheritageofThornburyandthesurroundingparishes,throughacollectionofobjects,documents,mapsandphotographs.TheThornburyRomanCoinhoardisahighlightofthecollection.220coinsfromahoardofover11,000aredisplayedalongwiththestoryofthehoard,providingajumpingoffpointforarchaeologyactivities.

The museum building:occupiesaverysmallformertownhouseandshop.Ithasthreeexhibitionrooms,plusconnectingareasofhallandlandingalsousedforexhibition.Threefurthersmallroomsserveasoffice,museumstoreandcombinedstaffandstorageroom.Areceptionarea/shopleadsontoawalledyardmaintainedasaRomanGarden.

Size of collection:17,500objects

Governance and management:Governingbody:Thornbury&DistrictHeritageTrust,acompanyLimitedbyGuaranteeandaRegisteredCharity.Trusteesaredrawnfromgeneralpublic,volunteersandsupporters.Daytodayrunningofthemuseum:MuseumManagementCom-mittee.

Volunteer Staff:entirelyrunbyvolunteers,numberingbetween70–80individuals,whocontributearound5,500hoursofworkperyear,equivalenttoatleast3fulltimestaffmembers

Accreditation status:FullAccreditationwasfirstawardedin2009,andbuiltonyearsofworktowardsRegistration,whichwasachievedin2002.ThemuseumisType1ontheAccredita-tionIndependentMuseumsScalability.Indicators.

Activities:Veryactiveresearchandeducationalprogrammes.Threeresearchgroups:TheResearchGroup(whichmaintainsThornburyRootsathttp://www.thornburyroots.co.uk/);ThornburyGeologyGroup;andtheArchaeologyGroup.Guidedwalks;schoolsprogramme;veryactiveFriendsofThornbury&DistrictMuseumwhosesupportandfundraisinghelpsmakemanydauntingprojectssuccessful.Strongnetworkswithlocalgroupsandothermuseums.

©Thornbury&DistrictMuseum

TheThornburyRomanCoinHoard

http://www.thornburymuseum.org.uk/

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Thornbury&DistrictMuseum’sForwardPlan

ThiscasestudyexploreshowThornbury&DistrictMuseumcreatedtheirForwardPlan,andtheimpactthattheirplan,andtheplanningprocess,hashadontheservicesandcultureofthemuseum.ItistheresultofaseriesofconversationsbetweenthemuseumstaffandtheCollectionsTrustduringSeptember/October2013.

Inthecreationofanykindofplan,theprocessofplanningisasimportantandtransformativeastheplanitself;forthatreasonthiscasestudyattemptstocaptureandlearnfromthemuseum’sexperienceofforwardplanningovertheyears,withafocusontheplansubmittedfortheir2013AccreditationReturn.AtThornbury,staffhadalwaysplannedtheiractivity;howevertheprocessofsubmittinganAccreditationReturngavetheirplanninganaddedstructure.Accreditationprovidedthemwithaframeworkfortheirplanning,andasaresultwhenstaffnowtalkaboutforwardplanningtheydosointhecontextoftherequirementsoftheAccreditationstandard.

In2012Thornbury&DistrictMuseumalreadyhadaForwardPlan,whichhadbeensubmittedwiththeir2009AccreditationApplication,andwhichinturnbuiltonmanyyearsofworktocreateandmaintainthemuseum.Whentheycametoreviewtheirplantheywantedtoachievemorethanjustreviewprogresssince2009.InreviewingtheirForwardPlanthemuseumfacedavarietyofchallenges.Theyknewthattheyneededtoworkinthecontextofthefollowing:

• Continuityandsuccessionplanningchallenges

• Thetensionbetweenpreparingdocumentsforanexternalbodybutneedingtomakethemrelevanttothemuseum’sownpurpose

• Ensuringthatpoliciesandplans,astheywerereviewedanddeveloped,reflectedthecapacityavailablewithinthemuseum’sworkforce

Asaresultoftheirreviewprocessthemuseumhopedtoachieveaplanwhichreflectedtheirgoalsinawaywhichisrealisticintermsoftheresourcesavailable.Itwasalsoimportantforthemtoacknowledgeintheirplanningthatthecultureoftheorganisationisoneofteamworkingandcollaboration;aflexibleinclusiveapproachtothereviewofpastachievementandthecreationofforwardplanswasessential.

‘Wehadusedthe2009AccreditationStandardrequirementstoidentifyanyoperationswhichneededsubstantialimprovementandbuiltthemintothe2009ForwardPlan.ThustheAccreditationprocesswasusedasbotha‘stickandacarrot’toimproveandguideourentiremuseumoperation.’

Thornbury&DistrictMuseumallowedaround6monthstoreviewandcreatetheirForwardPlan,andpreparetheirAccreditationReturn.TheprocessforthewholeReturn,asdescribedbelow,wascarriedoutbythreeteammembers:

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PreparingtheAccreditationReturn-TimelineMonth 1

InformationGathering

• DownloadalladvicefromArtsCouncilEngland,includingalltemplates• Lookfurtherafieldforinformationandadvice-attendAccreditationworkshops,talktoother

museums,consultMuseumMentor,locatehelpfulresources• Shareandconsult

ReviewCurrentPractice

• Reviewcurrentplans,policiesandprocedures–whichplans,policiesandproceduresarealreadyinplace?Howarecurrentplansprogressing?

• Shareandconsult

PlantheProjecttoCreatetheReturn

• DevelopanActionPlan–whatneedstobedonetocreatetheAccreditationReturn?Whoisgoingtodoit?Howlongwillittake?WhichdocumentsareneededfortheReturn?Whichdocumentsneedtobereviewed,whichdocumentsneedtobecreated?

• Shareandconsult

Months 2-4

FurtherProjectPlanning• Whatdowestillneedtoknow?• Reviewandreviseexistingdocuments,createnewdocuments• Shareandconsult

Months 5 – 6

CreatingandSubmittingtheReturn• Reviewworktodate,continuetocreatenewdocuments• Proofread,circulate,agreeandapprovedocuments• SubmitallAccreditationdocumentselectronically

CommunicationandRaisingAwareness

• Makesureallstaffareawareofthefullrangeofdocumentation.Circulatecopiesordigestsorinformationabouthowthedocumentscanbeaccessed

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Thornbury’sForwardPlanwasreviewedandwrittenasoneofthefinaloutcomesoftheirAccreditationReturnproject.Duringthe6monthproject,theteamreviewedexistingpolicies,proceduresandplans,andevolvedtheirForwardPlanastheyconsideredtherequirementsoftheAccreditationStandard.Thus,theForwardPlanwasreviewedasaresultofalloftheworkundertakentopreparetheReturn,whilstbuildingtherangeofdocumentsandstatementsrequired.

‘Wereviewedwhatwehaddonetodate,wecreatedahitlistofwhatwewantedtoachieve,andlookedagainattheprojectsthatwerealreadyinthepipeline.Fromthatwecreatedaseriesofobjectives,andcreatedactionsunderneath–thisbecameourAccreditationReturnActionPlan.ThenweframedallofthatinthecontextofwhatweneededtoproduceourForwardPlan.’

The2013ForwardPlanwasalsoacontinuationofpreviousForwardPlans.Itretainedexistingcontent,whereapplicable,updatedinthelightofthenewAccreditationrequirements.Assuch,theForwardPlanatThornburyispartofacontinuumofplanning–thereisaconstantcycleofreviewandadjustment,whichhighlightsopportunitiesforchange.Forexample,themuseum’sStatementofPurposewasreconsideredandamended.AForwardPlanisdirectlyinformedbyamuseum’sorganisationalpurpose,andThornbury’sstatementofpurposehadchangedverylittlesince1986.Asaresulttheydecidedthattheyneedtointegratereferencetotheunderpinningpurposeofthecollections,whichistoprovideeducationandenjoymentforthepublic,andtoacknowledgethattheircollectionsaremanagedandusedwithinaframeworkofnationallyagreedstandards.ThisshiftinemphasiswhichisnowcapturedintheirStatementofPurposehasdrivenveryspecificchangeswithinthemuseum:theyhaveforexample,changedthestructureoftheirdocumentationtomakeiteasierforuserstofindwhattheyarelookingfor,andareactivelycapturingUserGeneratedContentthroughtheactivityoftheirResearchgroup.Staffnowtalkof‘co-curation’.

Themuseum’sfivetipsforpreparinganAccreditationReturn

1. ReadeverythingcarefullybeforeyoustartandmakeanAccreditationReturnActionPlan,withkeydatesidentified.

2. Customiseexistingtemplateswhereyoucanbutbebraveandrejectanythingnotappropriateforyourmuseumandwriteyourownversion.

3. Shareeverything–circulatedocumentsforupdates,comments,corrections,andomissions.Numbereachversionandusetechnologytoyouradvantage.‘Weheld‘liveediting’sessions,whereweallmet,andprojecteddocumentsontoascreen.’

4. Createamuseumdocumenttemplate.RefertoyourAccreditationguidanceandtotheAccreditationAssessor’sChecklisttoensureyouareansweringalltherequiredquestionsinyourReturnandinyourdocuments.Checkforconsistencybetweendocuments.

5. Keepyourstaffinformedandhappy;makethewholeprocessaseasyandinclusiveaspossibleandnevereverunderestimatethepowerofteaandcake.

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Throughouttheplanningprocessthemuseumworkedwithinthe‘proportionateapplicationofobjectives’.Staffareveryawareoftheneedtoworkwithintheresourcesavailabletothem,andsaythattheydonotwanttoaddanythingtotheirForwardPlanswhichtheyknowtheycannotachieve;theyhavetoberealistic.

‘Wehadtogetourheadsaroundthefactthatourobjectiveshadtobescaledtoourresources,andthecapacitywehave.’

‘TheForwardPlaninformshowwelookforward,buttheprocessofcreatingaplanhelpsustoestimateourpotentialandresourcesrealistically’

Themuseumisalsokeentomaintainflexibilityintheirapproachtoplanning,andaswiththewiderAccreditationReturn,allstaffwereabletocontributetothereviewandcreationoftheForwardPlan.ForThornburythisisarealisticstrategygiventhattheyrelyonvolunteerstaffandhavelimitedresources:theyneedtonurtureenthusiasm.Therefore,atThornbury,theForwardPlandoesnottranslateintodetailedworkplansforindividuals,whicharethenmonitoredforprogress.Thisisadeliberatedecision,whichencouragesateameffort,(“wemightallworkonsomethingtogetherforacoupleofmonths”),butconcentratesongroupdeliverables,ratherthanprocessandmonitoring.

Lastly,allmembersofstaffwereencouragedtoparticipateindiscussion,andmaketheirownsuggestions.TheMuseumMentorandtheMuseumDevelopmentOfficerwerealsoincluded,aswereothermuseumsandgroups.Theviewsofvisitorsareroutinelycollectedatthemuseum,andthesewerealsofedintotheconsultationprocess.

‘Weallworkedtogether,everythingwentoutforcomment’

Thornbury&DistrictMuseum’sapproachtoforwardplanning1. Useplanningtosupportacultureofreviewingandamending.Reviewyouractivity,create

yourplan,reviewyouractivityagainandamendandimproveyourplan.Acknowledgeachievements,aswellasobjectiveswhichhavenotbeenrealised.

2. Workwithinthecultureofyourorganisation.Itisimportanttouseallstaffskills,whilstatthesametimeacknowledgingthatyourelyonthegoodwillofvolunteers,andthatthesocialelementofvolunteeringisimportant.AThornbury&DistrictMuseummaximis,‘Ithastobefun’.

3. Nurtureautonomyamongstallstaff,andframeitinthecontextofteamwork,signedoffbytheManagementCommittee.

4. Usetheplanningprocesstoenableyoutogettoyourdestination,butdon’tbeboundbytheplansyouproduce.Beflexible,andchangeyourplanswhentheneedarises.‘Customisationiskey’.

5. Don’tgettooboggeddowninthedetail,andconcentrateonyourdestination,whilstremainingrealisticaboutwhatyoucanachieve.

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AfterthePlan

Thornbury&DistrictMuseumisnowworkingwiththeirForwardPlan,andmaintainthat,althoughitspreparationseemedlikea‘massofpaperworkatfirst’,‘itgraduallyrevealeditselfasaveryusefulprocess’.

Whenaskediftheplanhastransformedthewaythemuseumoperates,staffimmediatelycommentedthat,asaresultofthewholeplanningprocess,theynowrealisethat,they‘aredoingbetter’thantheyhadthought.Assuch,theprocesshasbeenanimportantmilestoneinthemuseum’shistory,avalidationofthesuccessandpracticeofthestaff.However,theyalsoacknowledgethatthisisunderpinnedbywiderreachingimpactsonmoraleandculturewithinthemuseum.

‘Werealised,asaresultoftheentireprocess,thatatthismuseumwedoconsult.’

Atabasiclevel,staffseetheForwardPlanasaninstrumentwhichbringsallofthemuseum’sactivityintoonearena.Theplan,andtheprocessofcreatingit,demonstratestoallstaffthat,whatevertheirrole,itispartofanintegratedwhole,witheachelementimpactingonthenext.Staffbelievethatthishasatangibleandpositiveimpactontheculturewithinthemuseum,andcorrespondinglyonthevisitorexperience.

‘TheForwardPlanopenseverythingup;itmakesourobjectivestransparent’

DuringdiscussionoftheAccreditationprocess,staffreferredtothe‘stickandcarrot’effectofAccreditation.Itisbothadriverforchangeandarewardforgoodpractice.Asaresultoftheconsultationprocess,everyoneinthemuseum,includingexternalstakeholders,nowhasanimprovedunderstandingofsectorstandards,andwhytheyareimportant.InthiswaythemuseumseestheForwardPlan,andtheuseoftheAccreditationlogo,asadvocacytools,whichsupportgoodpracticeincollectionscare,useandaccess.

‘Accreditationisapowerfultoolinadvocatingtostakeholderswhypracticehastobeasitis;wecannowpointtonationalexamplesofgoodpractice’

‘Museumstaffandstakeholdershaverealisedthatmuseumsneedqualitystandardsjustasotherindustriesdo’

TheAccreditationprocesshasgivenanimpetustoThornbury&DistrictMuseumtoplacetheForwardPlananditsmoredetailedsubsidiaryplans(suchastheDocumentationPlanandtheCareandConservationPlan)centrestageincurrentcollectionsmanagementpractice.TheForwardPlanningprocesshasenabledthemuseumtoharnessandpullintoasingleframe,aculturewhichplacestheuserattheheartofthemanagementofthecollectionsandthedeliveryofservices.Ithasbothdrivenandsupportedamuseumculturewhichisinclusiveandflexible,andachievesabalancebetweennurturingindividualskillsandthepursuitofcommongoals.

Acknowledgements:ArtsCouncilEnglandandtheCollectionsTrustwouldliketothankthevolunteerstaffatThornbury&DistrictMuseumfortheirassistanceincreatingthisCaseStudy.

Followingpages:Thornbury&DistrictMuseumForwardPlan2013to2015

PLAN001 Thornbury and District Heritage Trust Charity No. 296345 Company No. 2087293

c/o The Town Hall 35 High Street Thornbury BS35 2AR Tel 01454 857774, [email protected]

THORNBURY AND DISTRICT HERITAGE TRUST

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Thornbury and District Museum

Forward Plan 2013 to 2015

This plan replaces the Forward Plan 2012 – 2014, approved 15.2.2012. It is an updated version of the 2012 – 2014 Plan and has been prepared for submission with our Accreditation Return, January 2013. It reviews the earlier Forward Plan 2009 – 2011.

Approved by T&DHT Council: 12th December 2012 To be reviewed: March 2015

Contents 1. Statement of Purpose

2. Introduction

3. Review of the Previous Plans 2012 - 2014 and 2009 - 2011

4. The Local Environment

5. Consultation

6. Key Aims 2013-2015

7. Specific Objectives 2013 - 2015

8. Implementation

9. Resources and Spending Plan, 2013 and 2014

10. Looking Forward

11. Point by Point review of Specific Objectives, 2009 – 2011

1 Statement of purpose

Revised wording was approved, 28.11.12, for use in all new policies and documents.

“Our purpose is to interpret and document the culture and heritage of Thornbury and the Lower Severn Vale for the education and enjoyment of the public, through the use of accessible permanent collections, temporary displays, lectures & events, and to do so to national standards of best practice.” We aim to create a lively, friendly, accessible and useful facility relevant to all members of the public.

This is achieved by maintaining a permanent collection, built up mainly in the early years, and adding items where space and resources allow, by developing and refreshing the permanent displays of objects, documents and information, by encouraging members of the local community to use the collection for research and by continuing a programme of temporary exhibitions, lectures, walks, and other outreach activities. Use is made of new technology where possible. However the museum’s most valuable resource, after the collection, continues to be the team of volunteers and the personal skills they bring.




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2 Introduction

Thornbury and District Heritage Trust was created as a charity and a company in 1986 for the provision of a museum and associated services for Thornbury and District. Thornbury and District Museum is governed by the Trust Council according to the Memorandum and Articles of Association.

The day to day running of the museum is delegated to the Museum Management Committee which must include one or more members of the Trust Council (trustees) and which is normally chaired by a trustee. The committee currently includes 5 trustees.

Building on the status of Full Registration in 2002, the museum was awarded Full Accreditation by the MLA in July 2009, demonstrating our commitment to maintaining a high standard of service and an efficient museum operation. We received an invitation from the Arts Council England to submit an Accreditation Return, with a deadline of 14th January 2013, which we are accepting.

The museum is staffed entirely by volunteers, numbering between 70 and 80 individuals, who give varying amounts of time and. They contribute about 5500 voluntary hours, equivalent to at least 3 full time staff members, to the local community in a year.

Professional support is given by the appointment of a Museum Mentor.

3 Review of previous Forward Plans 3.1 Review of Forward Plan 2012 – 2014 This plan was written to replace the Plan 2009 – 2011. It was written with reference to the Accreditation Standard published in October 2011 and with the knowledge that it would need to be updated before its review date in March 2014. It is not reviewed here as the majority of the content has been retained for the new Plan 2013 – 2015, with updates and additions.

Key Aims were designed to build on all the hard work carried out over the previous few years. During 2012 we have completed a number of outstanding projects from the previous plan, made progress with the care and documentation of the collection and also made improvements to all aspects of the museum’s service to its users.

The Key Aims are carried into the new Plan.

Progress with the Documentation Plan was slower than anticipated as we decided to completely overhaul the documentation of the collection to achieve consistency, and to retrain volunteers to adhere to the system.

Progress in design and implementation of improvements to display materials was delayed as volunteer time was diverted to the sourcing and administration of repainting and repairs to the outside of our premises.

The very important improvements to our premises were successfully completed. The repair and painting of the windows and external walls was funded by the South Glos Environmental Body. This makes the building both more secure and also very much more appealing to visitors. New radiators and system repairs, provided by Thornbury Town Council, make it easier to regulate the internal temperature and humidity.




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With the change from MLA to ACE and the publication of the new Accreditation Standard in October 2011 it became clear that a large amount of volunteer time had to be devoted to preparatory work to write additional policies, plans and procedures, and refreshing some of the older ones. We are now appreciating the benefits of an even higher standard of museum operation and will no doubt achieve the objectives which were not completed in 2012 more quickly.

3.2 Specific objectives completed during 2012 and additional achievements

These are not carried forward to the updated version for 2013 – 2015.

• Volunteers working with the collection and in other areas are now better organised into regular groups. This gives good continuity when, inevitably, an individual volunteer is unavailable. There is also crossover between the groups giving consistency, better communication and a more sustainable organisation of the workforce.

• Installation of new radiators and repairs to the boiler system, completed.

• Repairs and repainting to the external elevations, completed.

• Dedicate the ‘Thornbury Folk’ display space to illustrate social and domestic history, crafts and trades, with regular rotation of items from the collection to provide fresh displays, completed.

• Signage around the museum has been improved.

• The website for Thornbury Roots, a searchable website available internationally for local history and family researchers, has been added to the museum’s resources. The site is maintained by local historians who are also museum volunteers and all research is published as it becomes available: www.thornburyroots.co.uk.

• Design and distribute a new full colour general promotion museum leaflet and a promotional cotton bag with help from a MDF grant – successfully completed.

• All the agricultural items which the museum has been storing on behalf of local heritage groups have been numbered and briefly described. They have been professionally assessed (with the aid of an MDF grant) and the recommendations approved by the Trust Council. The owners of these items have asked us to dispose of them according to best museum practice if we are unable to accept them into our collection and this action is included in the new plan.

• BBC Hands on History – reprint and further promote the leaflet providing a High Street History Activity for children for use by schools or by individuals and family groups. This is now a permanent addition to the museum’s service to the public.

• The Roman Garden Project was extended with further information for visitors. We supported the ‘Thornbury in Bloom’ entry into the national ‘Champions’ competition in summer 2012. The town was awarded a Gold Medal in this competition and the local group awarded the museum a Gold Medal Certificate for its contribution.

• A number of glass plate negatives have been professionally scanned at Gloucestershire Archive. Funded from under-spend held over from a similar project.

• The HLF application to fund a community archaeology project, SCARP, was successful. Two separate local research projects are in progress and benefit greatly




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from support from this project. Interest in archaeology, which blossomed in 2006 with the discovery of the Thornbury Roman Coin Hoard, has continued to grow. We also now have the computer software to design our own material for our archaeology display room and also for other exhibitions.

• An application to the HLF for a continuation of the very successful Bristol based “Know your Place” project into the surrounding counties has been submitted. The museum supported the bid and will contribute to the project if it is successful.

• The Spending Plan 2012 provided an accurate framework as the year progressed with basic funding and expenditure within expected limits. Project spending was funded independently for each project. Additional projects were developed during the year and completed.

3.3 Review of Forward Plan 2009 – 2011 a Overview This Plan was written with the 2009 Accreditation Application firmly in mind and was designed to give a detailed breakdown of the actions which were needed to bring the museum’s organisation and administration up to the required standard. It has been reviewed in detail (section 11) as the actions completed form the base line from which further improvements in our museum operations are taken forward. The amount of work completed over the three years since the Plan was adopted has transformed the way in which the museum operates, with benefits to all areas. The collection is in a better state of care and documentation than at any time in the past. A larger part of the collection is on permanent display and the increasing range of exhibitions has greatly pleased our visitors. We now provide a better quality service to our users and have created a vibrant and satisfying environment for our volunteers. While through the door visitor numbers have remained steady, the number of other users has grown substantially. These users include contacts through the website, walks and talks, schools outreach, special events, enquiries by phone and email, shop customers and our research and interest groups. b Key aims for 2009 – 2011 were largely successfully achieved within the timescale

1. Full Accreditation was awarded in July 2009.

2. Capital projects carried over from the previous plan were all completed with the sole exception of re-writing the display material relating to archaeology. This has been carried over to the next plan.

3. The overall museum operation and service to the public has considerably improved as all activities and systems were examined during the early part of 2009, and where necessary updated, to fulfil Accreditation requirements. This has also continued throughout 2012.

4. A short review and inventory of all objects in the collection was completed. A backlog in documentation was identified in detail and a plan to work through this, and to correct deficiencies and discrepancies, was detailed in the Documentation Plan. This probably




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occupied more volunteer time than any other special action. Some objects which are not consistent with our Collection Development (Acquisition and Disposal) Policy have been identified and approved for disposal, in accordance with the Policy.

5. Volunteers continued to join the staff and offer many different skills. More volunteers have taken a more active role in running and organising the museum that at any time in the past.

6. No progress has been made in the long term search for larger and more suitable premises although an ambitious project to redevelop the site, which includes the museum, is being considered by a local group. This may or may not result in a satisfactory proposal to include a new museum building.

c Important outcomes from the Accreditation Application process

The application forced us to examine closely all our policies and procedures and several improvements were adopted as normal practice. The efficiency of procedures is monitored and amendments discussed and adopted as necessary.

In particular:

• The award of Accreditation has inspired volunteers to undertake more training, more outreach work, work more closely with other similar organisations and become more creative in mounting displays and exhibitions. Both the volunteer staff and the local community are very aware of the standards demanded by Accreditation and the status of the museum in the local community has risen accordingly.

• Improved policies for Loans In, Loans out and a new Placement Out Policy, to cover collection items placed for display at the premises of other organisations, were adopted.

• A Documentation Plan setting out targets for complete documentation of the collection to the required standards was adopted. It includes retrospective documentation of objects, where necessary, and improvements to existing documentation. An Action Plan, 2009, divided into short, medium and long term goals extends until 2019. Short and medium term goals, covering the first two years, have largely been achieved. Some dates and goals have been revised and some actions have been added as the plan has progressed. The Documentation Plan has become a rolling programme for both recording and organising the work.

• A Documentation Procedure Manual to accompany the Documentation Plan and a Collection Care Manual, to be used by alongside documentation or independently, were completed and immediately put to use.

d Specific objectives 2009 - 2011 reviewed

These are reviewed in greater detail than in previous Plans and show the level of awareness of the way the museum operates and directly measure improvements to our service and organisation.

A point by point review is contained in contents item 11.

Objectives not completed were carried over into the Plan 2012 – 2014, and many are now completed.




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e Funded projects developed during the life of the Plan

• BBC Hands on History – funding for a leaflet for school children to use to explore the history of our High Street, completed 2012.

• ‘Virtual Museum’ as detailed in 12.5. Good progress was made with the addition of computer hardware and preparation of presentation material.

• Re-flooring in the museum’s staffroom with new vinyl to give a clean and safe surface, funded by the Friends group.

• Design and purchase of a Perspex display cabinet for the last known remains of the Littleton Whale, beached in 1885, for inclusion in the Jubilee exhibition and for permanent display thereafter. Funded by the Friends group.

• Post Accreditation funding to purchase conservation materials in two phases, through Renaissance SW.

• Purchase of additional and replacement de-humidifiers to improve environmental control in the museum, funded by South Glos Council Capital Grants.

• Materials for an Emergency Equipment Box, funded by Magnox at Oldbury Power Station.

• The Sculpture project and Display Boards project were carried over from the previous plan and successfully completed through additional fundraising.

f Review of Spending Plans between 2009 and 2012

• Revenue funding from external sources was maintained in spite of Local Council Spending Reviews. This can be attributed to the realisation that the small amount of funding is very much more than repaid by the value of the service delivered by a large volunteer staff.

• Capital and project funding continued to become available and we took every opportunity to take advantage of this.

• Income from funding sources directly linked to projects matched the project costs and an increased number of small projects were undertaken. Listed in detail, 3 e above.

• The Friends of Thornbury and District Museum group regularly makes a valuable contribution to the museum by funding a variety of improvements and capital projects which would otherwise be very difficult to complete.

• Income generated from our own activities such as walks, talks and services given by volunteers increased, income from our shop increased and donations also increased.

• An annual spending plan which separates basic operating income and costs from project income and expenditure continued to prove efficient.

• Project income which was not spent in one financial year was carried forward into the next financial year until the project was completed.

• A reserve fund approximately equal to one and a half year’s basic costs is maintained in case of loss of funding. The reserve fund and project income for specific purposes are ring-fenced and not used to support basic revenue spending.




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• No payments to volunteers or trustees were made other than reimbursement of expenses incurred on the museum’s behalf and agreed by the Trust or Management Committee.

4 The local environment

The museum is situated in Thornbury in the Lower Severn Vale, between Bristol and Gloucester, close to the A38 major route and within 3 miles of a motorway junction. It is placed outside the small shopping area but within sight of part of it with signage from the High Street.

Car parking is free and nearby; public transport by bus from the surrounding area is reliable, the nearest rail link is Yate, 9 miles away.

The town centre and museum are within walking distance of most of the residential area of Thornbury, population about 13,000. The museum is within easy walking range of several of the several local primary schools.

The surrounding area is mainly rural interspersed with substantial villages. The north fringe of the Bristol urban area starts about 6 miles away. Thornbury and the villages are historically part of Gloucestershire but this link has been weakened by government re-organisation. Local and family history research is enthusiastic throughout the area and many local groups exist for the enjoyment and education of their members.

The local authority is South Gloucestershire Council, a small authority with no large civic centre, with few tourist attractions within its area. Thornbury Castle is a Tudor castle and a private hotel. Attracting visitors from other regions in large numbers is therefore difficult so efforts are concentrated on attracting repeat visits from Bristol, Gloucester and surrounding areas.

Substantial local industries, including Rolls-Royce and Airbus, are willing to be helpful but do not offer financial support. Our area is seen as relatively affluent with little social deprivation and few social problems. While this is commendable it does not help attract funding for non-essential services and heritage projects.

The proportion of retired people in the area is high and this poses problems for sustainable volunteer staffing and recruitment. Many people prefer to take advantage of the activities providing education and entertainment rather than contribute to them, particularly apparent with the rise in U3A membership. Hence it is especially hard to recruit volunteers to take managerial responsibility for an organisation after they have retired. This is true for all local groups. The area is perceived as having a high satisfaction index for residents.

The museum operates in a good environment of support from the South Gloucestershire Museums’ Group, the South Glos Heritage Forum and with proximity to Bristol’s and Gloucestershire’s museums. Our Museum Mentor is provided by M Shed in Bristol, our Museum Development Officer (MDO) is shared by Bristol, South Glos and Gloucestershire. We belong to the MA, the SW Federation, AIM and the Rural Museums Network, which each provide different aspects of support.

We have sufficient financial support from both South Glos Council and Thornbury Town Council to fund basic running costs and this has survived the national spending cuts, giving confidence that it is sustainable.




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Our support group, Friends of Thornbury and District Museum, raises much needed extra funding and provides a social addition to the museum’s work environment for those who are members.

However it is always much easier to raise funds for interesting capital projects than for unexciting but essential revenue costs, without which the museum could not operate.

5 Consultation and analysis of views

• All volunteers are encouraged to participate in discussion about the museum operation and put forward suggestions. These are discussed at the Museum Management Meetings and adopted if agreed upon.

• Suggested changes to policy and spending are presented to the Trust Council for discussion and action as agreed.

• Consultation with our Museum Mentor and Museum Development Officer is frequent and helpful.

• Participation at South Glos Museums’ Group allows consultation and discussion with other local museums and heritage groups.

• Visitors are encouraged to complete an exit survey or the visitors’ book; both have space for comments and suggestions. This information is analysed to tell us who our visitors are and where they come from to allow better targeting for display content, publicity and to identify gaps and problems. Comments and suggestions are discussed as above.

• A new survey has been developed to discover more about our non-users and all volunteers are being asked to approach a few people each with this survey, to give a large return.

6 Key Aims 2013 – 2015

1. To further maintain standards recognised by the award of Accreditation in July 2009

and submit an Accreditation Return by the deadline of 14th January 2013. Specific Objective: 7.1

2. To complete or make further progress with projects carried over from the previous plan. To create and participate in new projects which will enhance the museum operation and service. Specific Objective: 7.2

3. To continue to improve all aspects of our museum operation in order to increase visitor numbers, broaden the range of users and provide a greater range of services to the public. Specific Objectives: 7.3, 7.4, 7.8, 7.9 and elements of all objectives

4. To continue with work to reduce the backlog in documentation according to the revised

Documentation Plan 2012, to complete the review of all items in the collection and




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carry out conservation where appropriate, and to dispose of items which do not meet our collection criteria, in accordance with the Collection Development Policy. Specific Objectives: 7.5, 7.6, 7.7

5. To continue volunteer recruitment and continue and improve training in museum

operation, collection care and customer care. Specific Objectives: 7.8, 7.10

6. To continue dialogue with Arts and Community in Thornbury (ACT), the Town Council

and the Armstrong Hall Trust to work towards a viable site redevelopment plan which would include a new and larger museum, while staying aware of other options which may become available Specific Objectives: 7.9

7 Specific objectives 2013 - 2015

7.1 Accreditation

• Submit the Accreditation Return and all necessary approved documentation before the deadline on 14th January 2013

• Check that all other policies, plans, procedures, agreements and statements are completed to the new Accreditation Standard and are available if required

• Take advice and respond to any further requests for information or paperwork during the period when our application is considered

• Review all policies and other documents by their review dates and replace with reworded policies where necessary. The Curatorial Adviser Agreement will become the Museum Mentor Agreement in March 2013. The Acquisition and Disposal Policy will be re-written as the Collection Development Policy by April 2014. A full Security Review will be conducted during 2013.

• Maintain Accreditation standards

Target – throughout the life of the Plan unless given a specific date

7.2 Projects

• Design and produce an information leaflet about the coin hoard, Target - end 2013

• Complete improvements to exhibition room lighting and light control in two exhibition rooms, (postponed due to ill health of the lead volunteer). Install shielded low energy mini-strip lights, general lighting for occasional use and spot lights, where necessary, in the Temporary Exhibition Room and the ‘Thornbury Folk’ Exhibition Room. Install low energy fittings wherever possible. The project will be funded by the Friends group. Target – end 2013

• Heritage Trail – design and complete a leaflet about the bronze town relief sculpture, “Spirit of Thornbury”, insert an ‘errata’ slip into the trail booklet showing where a footpath has been moved; install two missing information plaques on buildings; replace the temporary information panel with a permanent panel in the Mundy Playing Fields; complete the list of contributors to the fundraising for the sculpture project for




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display in the museum reception. Maintenance of the trail is considered to be a routine activity. Minimal funding requirement, contained within operational costs.

Target – end 2013

• Complete archaeology display panels in the style of the Thornbury Roman Coin Hoard display using design software provided under the South Gloucestershire Community Archeaeology Project. Funding is already in place for the project.

Target – end 2014

• Small amounts of underspend on completed projects will be used to support the cost of obtaining printed copies of digital images, for which there is no original printed copy, for reference. No additional funding requirement.

Target – ongoing until funds exhausted

7.3. Improvements to permanent displays Permanent displays are built around topics which are best represented by objects, documents or photographs in the collection and about which we can tell a as full a story as possible. Additional information, which we cannot display, is available in folders and as slide shows on a large monitor.

A key display featuring the Thornbury Roman Coin Hoard leads into a general display about local archaeology. When complete it aims to expand the timeline from post glacial times, through to the Romans, and introduce the local history post-Romans. Our permanent ‘Thornbury Folk’ display reflects the development of the town with stories about people, occupations, buildings, trades, through easily recognizable objects and information panels. Visitors can be surprised by the wealth of local archaeology and identify with the more familiar items.

Temporary exhibitions feature any topic we wish to explore in detail, or a guest exhibition by a local interest group, or an unusual collection which will interest visitors. These give extra breadth to the amount we can offer in a very small space.

Interpretation is mainly by object and information display, supplemented by local walks, talks, self guided trails, and quiz sheets aimed at younger visitors.

• Make improvements to lighting and light control in two exhibition rooms as in 2 above

• Design and complete information boards to tell the story of Thornbury and the Lower Severn Vale with special reference to local archaeology, using the Thornbury Roman Coin Hoard as a key exhibit. Add appropriate items to the displays. As in 2 above

• Obtain a custom made Perspex case for the Thornbury Post Office lamp to protect it and make it ready for display as soon as a suitable location is found. Target – end 2013

• Continue to provide additional information about exhibitions and displays in folders and on the computer for visitor use

• Continue to place more items from the collection on display in available and suitable spaces

• Produce short portable guides to the permanent exhibitions for visitors, to draw attention to the story being told in each room




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• As space is very limited, continue to make resources available in folders, booklets, books for visitor browsing and on the public access computer


7.4 Improvements to museum services, availability and sustainability of services The museum recognises that its small size makes it difficult to accommodate as many visitors and varied activities as we would like.

Our collection contains material of interest to local rather than national research. Access to stored material is by request, immediate access if a suitably qualified volunteer is available or by appointment if not.

Photographs of artefacts may be supplied by email, photographs can be supplied by email if free from copyright restrictions, and documents can be scanned and printed or sent by email. Digital supply of information forms a large part of our response to access requests and is very well received.

Researchers requiring detailed information are invited to visit and assisted with access. The majority of research enquiries concern family history or history of specific properties. Volunteers provide as much information as possible but may advise contact with an appropriate record office as our resources are limited. Local researchers make regular visits to meet specific volunteers for assistance. School children engaged on curriculum related research are provided with printed material and advice on how to research further.

Our service to users includes

o provision of exhibitions and displays for education and enjoyment

o regular opening times for visiting the museum and its exhibitions and displays

o response to visitor enquiries either at the time of enquiry if a qualified volunteer is available or by later contact if not

o access to parts of the collection not on display by appointment

o special opening for events and visits by groups by arrangement

o arrangement of outreach events using handling materials at the museum and at schools or similar venues

o providing volunteers to give talks and lead walks for the public and for groups by arrangement

o access to the collection and information for research

o provision of learning and discovery activities to widen and complement interpretation of displays and broaden our range of users

o extending, modifying and changing displays and activities to encourage new users and respond to surveys and consultations

o maintenance of a general museum website and a specialist website on which the results of local research are published




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To improve our service our objectives are to

• continue to develop and improve all the successful initiatives undertaken and continued throughout 2009 to 2012 which increased our service, efficiency and profile and which are now a regular part of museum operation

• continue to

o collect research material and make it available to visitors

o develop the ‘Virtual Museum’ for public access

o aim to promote at least 3 short term exhibitions each year

o encourage displays and exhibitions mounted by other groups to give them an opportunity to share research and information and also attract a wider range of visitors to the museum

o run an open access monthly history Research Group for sharing research information and explore new lines of enquiry

o answer queries from visitors and by email contact as quickly as possible and suggest resources and avenues for research which enquirers can follow themselves

o welcome exhibiting artists in the Severn Vale Art Trail, as part of the annual Thornbury Arts Festival, to the museum. Already arranged for 2013

o encourage writing of books, booklets, leaflets and articles by volunteers and promote these through the museum shop and other outlets

o organise and participate in special Family Days, Finds Days, and other special events as opportunities occur, including Heritage Open Days, the Festival of Archaeology and the South Glos Discover Festival

o welcome visits to or by school groups following curriculum work and youth uniform groups seeking museum badge work

o regularly review the exit surveys and the visitors’ book for comments which would suggest changes or improvements to the service

o to take advantage of training courses for volunteers and continue in-house training and induction for new volunteers

• attract new users and broaden range of users through old and new initiatives such as a public survey at local community fairs, through a questionnaire insert in local community magazines, extended use of non-user survey to identify users and non users to help target areas for improvement

• participate in two leaflet initiatives: one for all heritage organisations within South Glos which will update an old leaflet and a separate leaflet for museums in South Glos in partnership with the 3 other museums, with professional distribution targeting tourists

• increase the amount of publicity and retrospective reporting on all museum activities

• continue and extend outreach to schools, engaging children whom we hope will then engage parents, grandparents, family, friends and neighbours, to reach other age groups




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• increase interaction with specialist groups such as the Memory Cafe which serve the local community

• make more information available via the Internet

• encourage further research by volunteers to provide more depth of information about our collection for visitors and external researchers

• encourage external researchers to share the results of their work with us

• continuously review, and improve where necessary, signage within the museum, provision of posters and advertising outside the museum and circulation of publicity through available outlets

• maintain and improve the website

• capitalise on good contacts made with schools, youth groups and special interest groups to share events and promotions, arrange visits to groups and at the museum, provide speakers for local groups and participate in national events

• renew efforts to recruit volunteers to restart oral history recording and also digitise and transcribe the existing recordings

• encourage short term volunteering by students and young people seeking work experience to both help the museum and give experience in the sector to the volunteers


7.5. Review of the museum’s collection Undertaken in conjunction with documentation and collection care reviews Our objectives are to

• continue the rolling programme of systematically checking items in the collection for accuracy of documentation, conditions of storage or display, and conformity with the Collection Development Policy

• offer any items identified for disposal, in accordance with our disposal policy, first to accredited and registered museums through museum channels. Make further attempts to satisfactorily place any items for disposal which are not accepted by other museums

• follow the recommendations of our professional adviser and aim to close the temporary store of mainly agricultural items which the museum has been keeping on behalf of local heritage groups. All items have been numbered and briefly described. They have been professionally assessed (with the aid of an MDF grant) and the recommendations approved by the Trust Council. The owners of these items have asked us to dispose of them according to best museum practice if we are unable to accept them into our collection. Target date end 2014

• make copies and/or transcriptions of fragile and sensitive documents prior to lodging at Gloucestershire Archive

• continue to examine items in the document archive and relocate any which would be more appropriately stored in other locations. All documents are being systematically checked against record cards, and will be fully accessed when this is done




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• make digital copies of archived documents as ‘working copies’ for research

• improve the file organisation for storage of digital images

• continue to systematically scan photographs and transparencies to obtain digital copies

• continue to systematically photograph artefacts for both collection recording and inclusion in the virtual museum

• select digital images for which commercial prints might usefully be obtained for easy and immediate reference and obtain such prints. Cross reference with documentation

• oral history recordings need to be copied into digital format and transcriptions into PC based documents for easy use. As yet no volunteers for this task have been found

• recognise that the museum does not have the resources to become a research centre and making copies of all documents, photographs and recordings will take a long time

• continue to collect and accept items in accordance with our policy and with due regard for our ability to care for them adequately. Advise potential donors of alternatives if we are unable to accept items they are offering

Target – ongoing actions unless specified otherwise in the Documentation Plan

7.6. Documentation Our objectives are to

• work to the museum’s Documentation Plan 2012 and Action Plan 2012 which give short, medium and long term goals of 2014, 2017 and 2023 respectively; an overall time scale of ten years

• eliminate remaining inconsistencies between accession entries, catalogue cards, object marking and database recording

• complete documentation of all parts of the collection in accordance with revised and consistent practices, in accordance with Spectrum standards and in accordance with the museum’s Documentation Procedure Manual

• complete accession, marking and cataloguing of new items and aim to reduce the backlog of these to a quantity which can be processed quickly

• complete accession of items with allocated emergency numbers as soon as the items have been assessed for inclusion in the collection, or matched with existing entry numbers, as part of the rolling programme included in the Documentation Plan

• update the digital computer based collection documentation as soon as elements of paper documentation have been satisfactorily reviewed or completed

• continue to train fresh volunteers and hold refresher training for existing volunteers, taking advantage of external training courses whenever available

Target – according to the Documentation Plan and Action Plan 2012 unless specified otherwise




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7.7. Care and Conservation Our objectives are to

• familiarise collection care volunteers with the new Care and Conservation Policy and Plan and make sure that all volunteers are familiar with the procedures to be adopted if handling any items in the collection

• continue to

o monitor the condition of items in store and on display with special vigilance for insect or other pest attack. Treat any damage and take steps to prevent further contact between pests and items. Maintain the cleaning schedule

o make routine checks for insects or other pests within the museum building using traps and during regular cleaning

o monitor temperature and relative humidity and adjust heating and use of dehumidifiers to maintain conditions at as constant a level as possible

o check light levels in display areas and protect sensitive items on display with additional covers when the museum is closed to visitors

o quarantine new items until their condition is assessed as satisfactory. Treat any items if necessary or refuse items if this cannot be done

o transfer items in less satisfactory storage to conservation grade storage

• train volunteers in new recommended practices as they are adopted and continue to take advantage of external training courses


7.8. Volunteer recruitment and training; care of volunteers and visitors Our volunteer training includes customer care, stressing the importance of a friendly welcome, giving interesting and useful information to visitors as required, attention to any special needs of visitors, prompt response to telephone and email communications, prompt answer phone response for out of hours callers. Volunteers are expected to be aware of the importance of adhering to all policies such as Child Protection and Safeguarding, Equality and Diversity, Health and Safety and, Access. Volunteers conduct regular Health & Safety and Risk Assessment checks, regularly test fire and smoke alarms, and make safety and security of visitors and volunteers a first priority. Our objectives are to

• circulate all volunteers with new policies and supporting documents and all documents which replace informal guidelines. These include, but are not restricted to, Volunteer Policy, Child and Vulnerable Adult Policy (replacing former Child Protection Policy), Equality and Diversity Policy (replacing Equal Opportunities Policy), Access to the Collection and Information Policy, Environmental Sustainability Policy, Security, Safety and Risk Assessment requirements

• make all volunteers aware of the Forward Plan 2013 – 2015 and provide copies for reference




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• remind volunteers of existing policies and supporting documents with which they should be familiar. These include, but are not restricted, to the Statement of Purpose, Emergency Plan, Health and Safety Policy, and statements showing the museum’s organisational structure, organisation of volunteer workforce and reporting structure.

• ask all new or returning volunteers to accept the new Volunteer Agreement in place of the more informal recruitment process which has been used in the past.

• hold regular training sessions for custodians to improve customer/visitor care, to alert custodians to changes in the museum operation and to keep them up to date on new exhibitions

• continue to

o provide attractive opportunities for new and existing custodians, volunteers and researchers and a friendly and secure workplace

o provide a safe, welcoming and attractive environment for visitors and strive to enhance facilities for visitors with disabilities of any sort

o give individual induction training to all new volunteers and integrate them into an appropriate work group or individual role

o take maximum advantage of external and often free training for volunteers; continue the close relationship with the ‘Friends’ group.

o organise volunteers into small groups engaged on linked tasks to strengthen sustainable working, recognising that volunteers are often retired and have many demands on their time and will not be able to maintain the same level of attendance as would normally be expected in paid employment.

• use regular feedback and discussion to identify areas where additional volunteers are needed or where volunteers may be misplaced. Rectify by additional recruitment or transference to other areas of work as appropriate. A suggestions box for feedback was provided but not used, volunteers apparently prefer direct discussion.

• maintain a good relationship with the Thornbury Volunteer Centre as the strongest local source of volunteers and seek new volunteers through additional advertising and connections with other local groups.

• comply with all existing legislation and good practice in care and safety of volunteers and visitors alike.

• familiarise all volunteers with the Emergency Plan and all health and safety precautions.

• conduct a new risk assessment annually or whenever there is a change in the museum’s operation.


7.9. Contacts outside the museum The museum enjoys regular and rewarding contact with a very large number of organisations both in the immediate Thornbury area and throughout South Gloucestershire.




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We intend to

• continue to

o discuss development plans for the site which includes the museum with the Armstrong Hall Trust and ACT with a view to including a new museum facility within the development if it takes place

o maintain and use links with professional bodies in the museums sector.

o maintain links with members of the South Gloucestershire Museums Group, South Gloucestershire Heritage Forum and local history groups and societies.

o maintain links with local schools through activities and events

o promote the museum as a tourist destination, working with Thornbury Tourist Information Centre, South Glos Council and other groups working toward the promotion of Thornbury and the Lower Severn Vale

o maintain links with the Vic Hallett Library public resource and the U3A as joint founders

o be aware of planning applications, especially in the Conservation Area and comment when appropriate

o maintain the Millennium Heritage Trail for public enjoyment

o Supply guides for walks and speakers for local groups and heritage events

• participate in the Severn Vale Art Trail each spring for as long as it continues and they wish to use the museum as a venue

• publish a new account of the history of Thornbury Castle written by one of our volunteers

• Participate in “Know Your Place” online historical resource if Lottery Funding for the project is secured by the applicants, who represent all the regions around Bristol

• change our response to Thornbury in Bloom’s annual campaign to reflect each year’s theme

• support Thornbury Town Council with their application to conserve the Maclaine Memorial Fountain

• participate in local heritage events such as Heritage Open Days, Festival of Archaeology

• support the St Mary’s Church Tourism group if it resumes activities with the new vicar

• continue membership of the Rural Museums Network, AIM, SWFED, MA

• organise further guided walks and talks in conjunction with other groups


7.10 Security, Safety and Risk Assessment

Safety checks and maintenance of essential utility supplies, gas, electricity, central heating and boiler, water, are conducted by our landlord on a regular basis. The museum keeps a record of checks and makes sure they are completed according to schedule.




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Major repairs and external decorating are the responsibility of our landlord, but the museum assists with this by fundraising to meet the cost when possible. Our landlord is also a registered charity and we are both bound by rules preventing one charity from benefitting another. A comprehensive programme of external repair and decorating has been completed in 2012.

The museum is responsible for internal decoration and good order and a small team of DIY volunteers look after this.

The museum conducts regular risk assessment of all aspects of its operations and commissions annual checks of the fire precaution system and the intruder alert system.

To ensure security and safety we intend to

• continue a programme of annual risk assessment with additional checks when any new activities or changes occur

• maintain a security, safety and risk assessment schedule and report to the management committee if any areas requiring attention are identified

• comply with all existing legislation and good practice in care and safety of volunteers and visitors alike.

• familiarise all volunteers with the Emergency Plan and all health and safety precautions

• conduct a full security assessment with professional assistance during 2013


8 Implementation of the Plan Volunteer time is always our principal requirement in day to day running and future planning, and successful implementation of our plans depends heavily on this.

It is not anticipated that we will be able to fund any paid position at the museum in the foreseeable future.

The responsibility for implementing the Forward Plan as approved by the Trust Council falls on the Museum Management Committee and its teams of volunteers.

The plan will be implemented by all volunteers working together, whether individually or within teams, to achieve success in a large number of small ways. Volunteers are now familiar with this pattern of working and are encouraged by seeing progress made in easy stages. Co-ordination between the groups is shared by a smaller number of volunteers, principally members of the Management Committee. Tasks are assigned to individual volunteers where appropriate.

Professional help is provided by our Museum Mentor and our MDO and specialist advice is sought when necessary. Regular discussion with our Museum Mentor and MDO and fellow members of the South Glos Museums’ Group is also helpful.

Volunteers are encouraged to attend training sessions to improve their skills and share the knowledge.

Reporting and feedback is through Museum Management Committee members for day to day progress and at committee meetings for formal discussion. The Museum Management




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Committee reports quarterly to the Trust Council although, with many Trustees serving on the Management Committee, reporting is effectively continuous.

Changes to the way in which any objectives are carried out can be made with confidence that sufficient volunteers have been involved in the decision. It is most unlikely that a situation in which the Trustees are not fully aware of either progress or problems could occur.

9 Resources and Spending Plan 2013 and 2014 Income and expenditure projections of basic costs and projects are considered separately

• Revenue income and spending on basic costs are expected to be equal or in credit unless additional funding is found for extra spending. Basic income and basic costs are expected to remain at similar levels for at least 2013 and 2014.

• Estimated project income and spending is identified for each individual project with the aim of making all projects independent of revenue spending and of each other. Projects are usually dependent on external funding.

• A reserve fund approximately equal to one and a half year’s basic costs is maintained in a deposit account. This will allow the museum to continue functioning for a limited period if our current providers are unable to continue with support. This should provide time to seek alternative finance or take alternative action if this fails. A smaller emergency fund for unforeseen needs is also maintained. Funds reserved for longer term projects are also kept in this account.

Review of Spending Plan 2012

Basic income was comfortably in excess of basic spending, mainly thanks to generous donations from visitors and excellent fundraising through our museum shop and donations from walks and talks given by volunteers.

At the end of 2012 all funded projects had been completed except for the Archaeology Display and Lighting Improvements Projects.

MDO funding was valuable in allowing us to obtain professional assessment of a quantity of mainly agricultural items and also to fund a project to provide us with a new leaflet and promotional cotton bags.

A very generous award from the South Glos Environmental Body (SGEB) paid for the repairs and redecoration of the external elevations of our building which was long overdue.

Other small projects were funded by our Friends Group which provides support for capital projects. The Friends also provided a third party contribution to the SGEB award.

Funds were moved from the disappointing CAF account to a building society account giving better interest rates.

Spending Plan 2013 Spending during 2013 is expected to follow the same pattern as previous years with basic income and expenditure closely matched to maintain museum operations.




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Project spending will only be undertaken when sufficient funding to complete the project has been identified.

Basic income is expected to continue without any major changes. The funding from Thornbury Town Council and South Gloucestershire Council is expected to remain in place.

Basic running costs have been estimated in line with spending in previous years with a modest increase each year. Exact spending in each category varies, sometimes supplemented by external funding, and in all cases is very small on a national scale.

Project spending will be undertaken where funding has been positively identified or allocations for continuing projects are carried over from the previous year.

2013 projects include

• lighting project, carried over, for which funds are promised by our Friends Group

• archaeology display project, carried over, for which funds are already identified

• printing and sales of a new book featuring Thornbury Castle written by a volunteer, promoted in partnership with Thornbury Castle Hotel, and anticipated to at least break even within 2013. Aim to at least break even by the end of 2013

• participation in the production of a publicity leaflet in partnership with other local museums, added to our operating costs budget

• and it is anticipated that new projects will develop during the year as has occurred in previous years

A detailed Spending Plan 2013 is submitted as a separate document.

Spending Plan 2014

It is expected that this will follow a similar pattern to 2013, with basic income and expenditure closely matched. Projects which are not completed in 2013 will be carried over into 2014 unless circumstances change. New project spending will depend on funding. The reserve funds will be maintained. We have been led to believe that our basic funding from both Thornbury Town Council and South Gloucestershire Council will continue at the same levels.

We are grateful to all agencies and organisations which enable us to maintain our museum and provide a service for our local area.

We are equally grateful to all our volunteers who collectively give around 5500 volunteer hours each year, equivalent in value to tens of thousands of pounds of staff salaries.

10 Looking forward beyond 2014 Our long term hope continues to be for larger and more suitable premises than those we currently occupy. The town centre is very compact and there has been no prospect of new premises, which we could reasonably afford, becoming available. Our best hope for a new museum lies in a partnership with another development such as the ACT proposal.

The pattern of basic income and expenditure is expected to continue while local authority support is unchanged, as seems likely.

The huge improvements in all areas of the museum operations following the close scrutiny and evaluation for Accreditation have been well worth the effort. The compliments from




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visitors and their generosity in the donations box bear this out. Comments from visitors who have not been into the museum for several years include phrases such as ‘hasn’t it improved’, ‘everyone is so friendly and helpful’, ‘doesn’t the museum look good’ and ‘the displays are so good now’.

We certainly intend to uphold and improve on these standards for as long as the museum is operational.

11 Review of Forward Plan 2009 – 2011

Point by Point Review of Specific Objectives, 2009 – 2011

1. Accreditation: Important outcomes are detailed in 3.d above.

2. Display panels

• The application to ‘Awards for All’ was not successful but the project to cover our display areas with Velcro accepting fabric was achieved with a grant from South Gloucestershire Council and funding from the museum’s Friends group.

• Exhibitions and displays have improved greatly with easier mounting and greater flexibility.

3. The ‘Spirit of Thornbury’ bronze sculpture

• The sculpture, mounted on a natural stone plinth, was successfully installed. It was unveiled by our MP in June 2009.

• Two further information plaques for the Heritage Trail need to be fixed to the relevant buildings. New agreements are required as ownership of buildings has changed.

• The sculpture forms an integral part of the Thornbury Millennium Heritage Trail.

4. Improvements to permanent displays

• The “Thornbury Folk” displays were extended and improved to coincide with the Silver Jubilee Exhibition, celebrate 25 years of displays since the first display in November 1986. The Jubilee was also celebrated with a social event for all volunteers and supporters.

• The hallway has been utilised as additional display space with a mixture of permanent material and displays to support temporary exhibitions. More artefacts have also been placed at other locations around the museum to increase the number of objects from the collection on display.

• Additional information and research resources are available to visitors in folders, and a range of books is displayed in a new bookcase and available for browsing.

• Presentations can be viewed in an easily accessible room on a new large computer monitor purchased with grant funding.




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5. General improvements to the museum’s service to the public

• Objectives were developed in line with experience. In particular we improved our advertising; increased outreach, especially in partnership with schools; held more special events at the museum including Finds Days with our Finds Liaison Officer; analysed our new visitor exit survey responses; published several new books as well as short articles in local magazines; responded to an increased number of enquiries; developed a small Roman style garden in our courtyard in partnership with ‘Thornbury in Bloom’; participated in a regional ‘Time Portals’ project; improved our own website

• Improved and extended stock in our museum shop

• Progress with developing a ‘virtual museum’ to make all aspects of the museum’s collection and displays available to visitors who cannot access all parts of the museum. An additional computer, a large flat screen monitor, a digital camera and accessories, and a scanner were funded by South Glos Council Capital Grants and the ‘Friends’ of the museum.

• Work to photograph all items in the collection for public access is underway and additional volunteers have joined the museum to assist with this project.

• An Education Group of volunteers has been established to co-ordinate outreach and visits from schools and youth groups and summer guided walks.

• Our exit survey and visitors’ book show a high level of visitor satisfaction. Analysis of visitor numbers against time and date shows no discernible pattern so changes in opening hours are not proposed. Short term factors such as weather, sport on TV and local events have an influence and we take advantage of the circumstances when possible.

• Website provision has been substantially streamlined and improved and the museum now also takes responsibility for the very successful ‘Thornbury Roots’ website, run by a small number of dedicated volunteers as a worldwide research facility.

6. Review of the museum’s collection

• Items in the collection are reviewed for correct documentation and for condition, pests, and storage conditions at the same time within a rolling programme

• The review of documentation against items in the collection has revealed gaps and anomalies which are being resolved. This has led to an overhaul of documentation which has changed the priorities in the Documentation Plan.

• The review of items in the collection against our A&D policy is continuing along with the rolling programme of condition inspection. A small number of items have been identified for disposal according to the policy. (Southend-on-Sea Museum Service was delighted to collect an EKCO television from Thornbury.)

• Documents are being examined for consistent documentation and storage, with some items being more properly identified as research material or additions to our media scrapbook.

• Transparencies, i.e. colour slides, have been examined with items clearly irrelevant to our collection or beyond identification disposed of. Photographs are being scanned and retained as digital images as well as originals. Older scanned images for which there is no original will be printed for reference.




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• The review of agricultural items stored off site is continuing. Smaller items are being brought into the museum store where space allows. Membership of the Rural Museums Network is invaluable in keeping up to date on the national scale of collection reviews and identifying items in other collections which are similar to ours, providing much useful information.

• The ‘Mary Bruton Collection’ has been formally donated to the museum by the Thornbury Society, removing an ambiguity over ownership and loan status.

• Sensitive and fragile documents will be scanned or photographed and placed at Gloucestershire Archive for safe storage, the museum retaining ownership.

• Oral history recordings have not yet been digitised or transcribed as no suitable volunteers have offered to do this.

• A small geological collection is currently stored off site.

• We have been increasingly careful to only collect new items consistent with our policy and advise potential donors of alternatives if we cannot accept items.

7. Documentation

• The review of documentation of the collection and resultant actions are contained in the Documentation Plan which has been updated to show targets met, work undertaken and new tasks identified. The Documentation Plan will be re-written to accommodate the updates for the next Forward Plan.

• All items which were not previously documented are now identified with emergency numbers. Discrepancies in documentation are being resolved to match paperwork with objects so that every item can be found, catalogue details are accurate and accession is up to date.

• Revision of documentation procedures for all documents, photographs and images has been completed to create a consistent system for all parts of the museum’s collection, consistent with Spectrum guidelines.

• Documentation of new items has continued during the review.

• Updating the digital data base continues with information which has been checked thoroughly. This is backed up on external devices.

8. Collection care:

• Volunteers operate a rolling programme in which all artefacts, documents and photographs and storage areas are routinely inspected for damage or insect attack. Items are repacked if necessary in conservation grade materials. Observations are recorded and action taken if required.

• Volunteers continue to attend external training courses and to hold regular internal meetings. New practices are adopted wherever relevant and practical. A course on the care of metals has been especially useful. As a result our collection care progressively improves. We are grateful for the availability of courses through regional funding and the South West Fed.

• Collection care and documentation are reviewed and revised together as far as possible. Selected items are more thoroughly cleaned or conserved using non-specialist techniques when necessary.




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• Environmental monitoring is recorded and evaluated. New dehumidifiers were purchased in November 2011 with funding from a South Glos Capital Grant.

• Two awards of funding from the MLA Renaissance in 2010 and 2011 and another through the Primrose Project have provided additional conservation materials for better storage of artefacts, documents and photographs within the museum.

• Substantial improvements to the condition of the museum building are now in place making environmental control more successful.

9. Volunteers, visitors and training

• New volunteers regularly come forward and serve as custodians and also behind the scenes.

• A volunteers’ co-ordinator organises contacts, rotas, events, newsletters, induction and training and act as a mentor to new volunteers.

• A small but regular number of students and graduates has joined our teams and they are involved in both day to day behind the scenes work and special projects. A young man on a placement completed a full risk assessment for us as part of his training. An ongoing scheme to place local sixth formers in voluntary organisations is working well for us.

• Visitors are encouraged to use our visitors’ book and also to complete an exit survey. These show a high level of visitor satisfaction and interest shown by many different people.

• Regular training, mainly through popular regular newsletters, has encouraged custodians in our reception to adopt a more welcoming and helpful way of greeting visitors and this is reflected in visitor comments.

• Training has also almost eliminated mistakes in locking, unlocking and setting the alarm when opening or closing the museum.

• All volunteers are willing to make observations, suggestions and criticisms without the need for a suggestions box, which had only had two offerings during the time of the plan.

10. Contacts and projects completed with organisations outside the museum

• All objectives have been successfully achieved and good contacts will continue to be an essential part of the museum’s operations.

• The South Gloucestershire Museums’ Group is especially important as a body for information exchange, co-operation and training and as a forum for discussion.

• Links with Bristol Museums are strengthened with the appointment of a Museum Mentor from Bristol’s M Shed. This appointment is consecutive with the resignation of the former Curatorial Adviser who moved out of the area.

• Links with the Gloucestershire museums have been strengthened by the appointment of a joint MDO for Bristol, Gloucestershire and South Gloucestershire.




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• Local links continue with Thornbury Town Council and local churches for the promotion of tourism continue but are restricted by lack of funds. The appalling murder of the vicar of the parish church in 2012 effectively ended the Church Tourism group in which the museum had participated. We hope this will be restarted.

• Museum volunteers participate in many events and activities organised by other groups in our area including U3A, schools, Thornbury in Bloom, the Thornbury Volunteer Centre, local historical societies and research. This includes the annual Festival of Archaeology, Heritage Open Days and the South Glos Discover Festival in 2012.

• The museum welcomed three local artists for 10 days of display and sale of art work as part of the Severn Vale Art Trail, organised as part of the Thornbury Arts Festival. The response from custodians, who stewarded many extra hours, and the public through considerably increased visitor numbers, was outstanding. The event was repeated in 2012 and is scheduled for 2013.

• The museum supports three self funding interest groups researching local history, local archaeology and geology.

• The museum watches the progress of planning applications and provides information and opinions where appropriate. The museum has provided information to support the listing of an important building in Thornbury Town Centre although this has not yet been determined.

• Volunteers write articles, give interviews, provide information, lead walks, give talks and presentations, and otherwise work with as many external organisations as possible.

• ACT – Arts and Community in Thornbury aims to build a new community theatre and meeting place complex incorporating a new museum. The plan includes the site currently occupied by the museum. At the end of 2011 a feasibility study concluded that the project was viable and an estimated £6 million would need to be raised. It is not likely that significant progress will be made in the immediate future but the museum is included in discussions. A business plan to take the project forward is still awaited at the end of 2012.

• Vic Hallett Memorial Library – a library containing books belonging to Vic Hallett, a founder member of the museum who died in 2006, and set up in his memory to make the books available for public use. It is administered by an independent committee through co-operation between the museum and the local U3A and is an ongoing project which the museum supports.

• Time Portals Project – regional web based activity for schools to create an interactive web-based activity for school children. The museum was one of 10 participants who constructed an activity based on iconic items in their collection. The project remains live on the website.

• Impatient Vagrans – the museum supported a successful HLF bid for this local drama group to explore oral history in local villages and stage a dramatised representation.

• Primrose Project funded by Renaissance SW - Volunteers attended a training course in the care of photographic materials and received conservation materials for their museum.




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• SCARP – the museum and its archaeology group are participating in the HLF funded South Gloucestershire Community Archaeology Project to train volunteers and promote archaeological research. This has also provided the museum with Adobe design software for writing our own display material to enhance our archaeology exhibition.

The details of the Spending Plan 2013 – 14 form part of this Forward Plan and are presented in a separate document.

Approved by T&DHT Council: 12th December 2012 To be reviewed: March 2015

Forward Planning at Thornbury & District Museum · established as a museum since 1986. Thornbury...

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