Old Volunteer Brochure vs. New: What’s Changed and Why?
- Staithes Museum
- Jul 20
- 2 min read
At Staithes Museum, our volunteers are at the heart of everything we do — whether they’re welcoming visitors, caring for artefacts, or writing up stories from our collection. So, when it came time to update our volunteer brochure ready for the volunteer recruitment fayre at Land of Iron this week, we took a fresh look at how we invite people to get involved.
If you’ve seen our previous leaflet, you’ll know it was cheerful, helpful… and just a little vague. Our new version is clearer, more flexible, and reflects the exciting variety of ways people can now take part behind the scenes. Here’s what’s changed — and why we changed it.
✨ More Roles, More Ways to Get Involved
Then: The old brochure focused on traditional roles like front-of-house guiding and basic collection care.
Now: We’ve expanded the list! Volunteers can now:
Catalogue objects and help organise the collection
Photograph artefacts for our digital archive
Write for our newsletter, whether it’s covering exhibitions, researching stories, or sharing memories
Create educational content or social media posts
We realised a lot of people want to help, but don’t necessarily want to talk to the public — and that’s okay! There’s a role to suit everyone.
☕ “Your First Day” — Replacing “About Us”
Then: We included a short summary of the museum’s history.
Now: We’ve replaced that with something much more practical: a friendly outline of what your first day as a volunteer will actually look like. It includes:
Coming in on a day that suits you
Meeting the team over coffee
Shadowing a volunteer
Choosing your role and availability afterwards
It’s a low-pressure, welcoming way to get started — because we know the hardest bit is often just taking the first step.
🎟️ Volunteer Pass Perks
Then: Not mentioned!
Now: After four sessions, volunteers receive a free pass for entry to hundreds of museums across Yorkshire — part of our partnership with Museum Development Yorkshire. It’s our way of saying thank you.
🧭 Why We Made These Changes
We want everyone to feel they belong at the museum — even if they’ve never worked or volunteered anywhere like this before. The new brochure is designed to:
Lower the barrier to entry
Be friendly and informal
Celebrate the real variety of what volunteers do
Highlight hidden roles like writing and photography
Offer clearer information for placements and students
📬 Want a Copy?
Drop into the museum to pick up a brochure, or email us and we’ll send one your way.
Or even better — just pop in for a coffee and a chat. Your first day might be closer than you think.
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