Museum Development East Midlands (MDEM) and the East Midlands Heritage Volunteering Group (EMHVG) are thrilled to be jointly launching a digital network for heritage volunteer managers both paid and voluntary, in the East Midlands. This network is launching as part of Volunteers Week 2021 in direct response to volunteering needs identified in MDEM’s Volunteering Needs Report 2021.
What is it?
The online network is a safe space to discuss and share volunteer management triumphs and issues, and access support from MDEM, EMHVG and peers. When you access the online network you will be able to see uploaded resources, respond to or ask questions and access targeted advice. It is a confidential space, and you can opt in and out of discussions at any time. We will encourage member participation and aim to run a series of posts in the coming weeks on the following topics:
– Reintroducing volunteers after Covid
– Rethinking volunteering models post pandemic
– Recruitment and retention
– Inclusive practice in volunteering
Who is it for?
This online network is free to access and open to anyone who has responsibility for supporting volunteering at East Midlands museums or heritage sites. This might be a volunteer, a paid member of staff who has volunteer management as part of their role, or an individual whose main role is supporting volunteers. Once you have joined you can also personally opt out at any time.
How can you sign up?
To sign up all you need to do is send an email to Sarah Hartshorne at MDEM. Once you have done this you will then be sent an invite to join the network. You can leave at anytime, and the level you participate is up to each individual. The online network is hosted on the project management tool Basecamp. All you need to join is internet access as it is a web browser based tool.
