The British Museum and the Marsh Christian Trust have been working in partnership for the ninth year for the ‘Volunteers for Museum Learning’ award which recognises the hugely valuable contribution that volunteers make in helping museums engage with their visitors.

The Egypt Centre Volunteers competed with a large number of applicants from across the UK to win their 2016 British Museum’s Marsh Award for being the best volunteers in Wales for providing an excellent service for visitors to the centre.

Syd Howells, Museum Volunteer Manager said : “ Education and inclusion is the ethos of the Egypt Centre and the success with which our volunteers bring alive ancient Egyptian culture to the museums visitors of all ages and abilities has been recognised by the British Museum’s Marsh Award for Museum Learning for Wales.” 

The ‘Volunteers for Museum Learning’ award forms part of a programme of awards presented by the Marsh Christian Trust in the fields of science, ecology, conservation, heritage, literature and volunteering. Each one of these awards recognises individuals and organisations who devote their lives to improving the world today and the world in the future. The Marsh awards programme is managed in association with key partners including the Zoological Society of London, English Heritage, Barnardo’s, the Refugee Council and the British Museum.

The aim of the ‘Volunteers for Museum Learning’ award is to recognise those volunteers who work directly with museum visitors in any capacity. This could involve leading a school group, staffing an information desk, helping with family activities, running a guided tour or any number of other ways in which volunteers provide such excellent service to museum visitors.

There were a large number of applications from across the UK, some from groups of volunteers and some from individuals. The judges consisted of staff from the Marsh Trust, staff and volunteers from the British Museum and a representative from another museum. The British Museum is delighted to host the awards, being very aware of the crucial contribution volunteers make to the well-being of the Museum and its enjoyment by the public.

Joanna Mackle, Deputy Director of the British Museum said: “Museums across the UK rely on the contribution of volunteers to ensure they reach and inspire as many people as possible. The Marsh Awards recognise the commitment and enthusiasm of volunteers in museums and we are very grateful to the Marsh Christian Trust for acknowledging this work. The winners will each receive a cash prize of £500, donated by the Marsh Christian Trust. The one overall national winner receives an additional £2,000.”

Picture: (l to r)

Wendy Goodridge – Egypt Centre Assistant Curator

Nikki Lloyd – EC Volunteer

(behind her) Sir Richard Lambert – Chairman of the British Museum

Hywel Protheroe Jones – EC Volunteer

Shirley Jones – EC Volunteer

Rhodri Protheroe Jones – EC Volunteer

(behind him) Syd Howells – EC Museum Volunteer Manager

Tom Clarke – EC Volunteer

Dan Williams – EC Volunteer

Breda Regan – EC Volunteer

Brenda Senior – EC Volunteer

Dulcie Engel – EC Volunteer

Brian Marsh – Chair of the Marsh Christian Trust

• For more information about the Egypt Centre go to: http://www.egypt.swan.ac.uk/
• For more information about volunteering or work placement at the Egypt Centre go to http://www.egypt.swan.ac.uk/volunteering-and-work-placement/
• For more information about the British Museum Marsh Volunteer Awards go to http://www.britishmuseum.org/about_us/volunteers/marsh_awards.aspx