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ARMY MUSEUMS OGILBY TRUST (Registered Charity No: 250907)

58 The Close, Salisbury Wiltshire, SP1 2EX

E-mail: dir@amot.demon.co.uk Tel & Fax: (01722) 332188 Website: ww.armymuseums.org.uk

January 2013

EDITORIAL

The various commemorative events taking place in regimental and corps museums across the country to mark the centenary of the First World War provide excellent opportunities to strengthen important links with local communities and traditional recruiting areas. Museums will need no reminding that those aspects of their history that link them closely with local families, schools and businesses are an essential element in emphasising the ‘sense of place’ that identifies their regiment as an integral part of the area’s social fabric.

This aspect of their role as a bridge between the Army and the civilian population assumes added importance when looked at in the context of the MOD funding cuts contemplated in the 2011 Museums Study. Given the pace of change among personnel there is a real danger that the cuts presented as planning options in the Study will come to be seen as assumptions and adopted as firm policy decisions by a succession of busy, fast moving staff officers and civil servants. Left unchallenged this will not be a gradual process.

As the 2011 ECAB Paper states, the MOD’s progressive cuts to museums’ funding “can be adjusted, hastened, slowed down or halted at any stage.” AMOT intends to challenge the perceived inevitability of the progression by re-emphasising the valuable returns that antecedent regimental museums make on a very modest financial investment. Museums themselves can add weight to this argument by actively engaging with local communities and, in the near future, there is likely to be no better opportunity than that presented by the centenary of the First World War.

Competition for HLF grants over this period will be intense. In a very competitive field it may be counter-productive for regimental and corps museums to submit individual applications for scarce resources. Wherever practicable group projects are likely to achieve greater success and should be encouraged (see page 7). At the AMOT Conference the HLF’s Director of Operations also stressed the importance of timing and recommended the early submission of applications.

The period 2014-2018 presents a unique opportunity for regimental and corps museums to be in the vanguard of commemorative events across the United Kingdom and it offers the prospect of real, tangible benefits.

AMOT Conference - 22nd October 2013

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1. The Gordon Highlanders Museum has had to survive on modest MOD support1 for almost 20 years. This has been challenging but in that time the Regiment has established a Visit Scotland 5* Attraction2 with a turnover in excess of £0.5M per annum, employing over 9 full time equivalent staff supported by 190 volunteers. This briefing note sets out some context before identifying factors that we consider have contributed to our success so far. Background

2. Location and Facilities. The Museum is located in a quiet side street about 2 miles from Aberdeen City Centre. There are no other attractions nearby. The core of the Museum is a Grade 2 Listed building. This houses the main exhibition, a temporary exhibition space, kitchen, a small dining room and offices. Built onto this was a tearoom and shop, a large conference room, a classroom for school visits, storage and office facilities. These improvements were funded by regimental and community fundraising and Heritage Lottery Grants. There is parking for around 40 cars (important in city where parking is a problem) and a walled memorial garden.

3. Visitor Trends. Entry to the Museum Exhibitions costs £5 (free to members of the Regimental family). Access to the Tea Room, Shop and Gardens is free to all. We have been adversely affected by the recession. Visitor numbers for 2012 (contrasted with 2008) were as follows: Exhibitions 4507 (down 30%), Tea Room 21576 (down 23%), Education 7355 (down 10%), Corporate 4397 (up 4%).

4. 2012 Operating Costs. The Museum is a charity but also has a trading Arm. Income to the charity was £170K (largely donations and dividend receipts). The Trading Arm gross profit was £135K on a turnover of £362K. Museum expenditure exceeded total income by £36K, largely because of an urgent and unexpected (£30K) roof repair. The largest item of expenditure is staff salaries (around £210K for 83 full time, 3 part time staff). Although our overall financial position is healthy, in the current climate the loss of even our modest MOD support is going to be unwelcome. This year we have closed on Sundays because the costs outweighed the income generated.

5. Customers By Value. Our corporate users (£215K income) are our most valuable customers. We provide them with exclusive dinners, conferences and meetings. Although the tea room only generates £78K it provides the bulk of our visitors, largely based on “ladies who lunch”. We provide them with waitress service, our own home cooking and a loyalty card. They are also key customers for the shop (income of £56K) along with children (either as school groups or with parents.) The lowest group by value are those who visit the Museum Exhibitions (£12K). Even if we charged everyone an admission fee, (members of the Regimental family get in free) this would still be our lowest value group. Income from museum entry alone is insufficient to run our Museum, although it is the existence of the museum that generates significant donations. 6. Key Challenge: Regular and Reliable Sources of Income. The excitement of raising large capital sums to fund museum improvements can mask the more important task of ensuring that you

1 Single civil service post, limited assistance with fuel and light and cleaning. Cleaning assistance has now ceased. 2 No other military museum in Scotland (at present) is so graded but we would hope that others will join us soon. 3 In addition a Museum Assistant is funded by the MOD, which also makes a 10% contribution to fuel and light costs. The permanent staff are a Museum Director, Curator, Education Officer, Corporate Hospitality Manager, Front of House Manager, Cook and Secretary. Part time staff are an accounts clerk, catering assistant and a cleaner. Volunteers provide a part time unpaid Treasurer (retired CA) and the Museum electrician. Building maintenance is supervised by a Trustee who is also a quantity surveyor.

THE GORDON HIGHLANDERS MUSEUM

The Gordon Highlanders Museum has become a popular visitor attraction with a high degree of financial resilience. This article, contributed by its chairman, describes the way in which this has been achieved and offers much food for thought for museums aiming for greater self-sufficiency.

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have sufficient income to meet your running costs. Establishing these takes time. Our corporate entertainment service took some years of solid effort to become properly established and it still requires continuous nurturing because we are operate in a very competitive environment. However, if the Museum is open in another 20 years, it will be because of our efforts in putting in place solid income streams rather than our success in raising capital sums. Lessons Identified

7. The Museum Has To Be More Than a Museum. We are not just a museum: we are a good corporate services business and tearoom that just happens to have a good museum tacked on. Without these our Museum would generate insufficient income to survive. Our corporate users provide our most important income stream. Our tearoom attracts a critical mass of people so that we have a welcome buzz about the museum. Although we are a military museum with important messages to communicate about the value of the Army at an individual and collective level, we are primarily a tourist attraction for those interested in the military heritage of the North East of Scotland. That is our unique selling point. We have to view ourselves as a community asset reflecting an important element of the social history of all from this area.

8. Create A Broad Based Regimental Trust. Nearly half of all our Trustees are from outside the Regiment. They provide an essential expertise (legal, financial, property and commercial) and help ensure that the Museum is a broad based community asset.

9. Employ Museum Professionals. Employ personnel from a museum background in the key posts of Curator and Director, not ex members of the Regiment. This is not a job for amateurs and they will ensure your credentials as a proper museum. What they lack in regimental knowledge will be more than compensated for in terms of their professional expertise (and at the very least individuals from this background will be able to maximise your grant income.)

10. Establish A Volunteer Programme Open To All. Some of our best volunteers have no connection with the Gordon Highlanders (hence the comment about being a community asset). Our 190 volunteers provide all our guides, tearoom staff, research capability and maintain the garden. They also support our educational and outreach activities. Volunteers on duty wear a uniform (eg blazer and a regimental lookalike tie). We acknowledge long service and provide 2 functions for them a year. They get free coffee/tea and a discount in the tearoom and shop but none are paid. Without them we could not do what we do. They also produce their own very professional newsletter.

11. Establish Effective Commercial Links. The Museum has benefited from good relationships with local suppliers, some who provide products for sale in the shop on very advantageous terms. Regimental Whisky and Duchess Jean branded shortbread are key sales lines. Affection for the local Regiment has to be converted into a commercial advantage.

12. Think Carefully Before Establishing An Education Officer Post. If you have a permanent education officer, the costs of the post will not be covered by the income from schools, particularly for a small museum like ours. However, we consider this to be a key purpose of the Museum (telling our story to the next generation) and we are very proud of our education programme. Making your education officer responsible for your programme of events will help defray your outlay.

13 Establish A Regular And Varied Programme of Events. Even people predisposed to visit the Museum need to be given a reason for doing so, otherwise they will put it off for another day, particularly if they are local. Perversely those who will find it easiest to visit will not unless tempted. A good programme of events is essential to encourage new and repeat visits.

14. Consider Mounting Temporary Exhibitions. We are not collocated with an attraction that guarantees a steady stream of visitors so we mount temporary exhibitions (2 major and 2 minor a year.) Although expensive in terms of money and time, they ensure that our offering remains fresh. The right exhibition will generate very useful publicity and additional visitor numbers. Last year

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we ran an exhibition on the experiences of a small town in Belarus during World War 2. Although from an academic perspective it was very successful it did not generate extra admissions.

15. Entertainment Will Help The Bottom Line More Than Education. For a Museum this can be a difficult pill to swallow but you need to get people through the front door. This year we are running a very successful temporary exhibition on Commando Comic artwork, an idea copied from the National Army Museum. The publicity associated with this made the BBC Scotland News, swamped the local press for a week and saw a significant increase in visitors, particularly from families. The Belarus Exhibition hardly raised a ripple.

16. You Have To Be Family Friendly. In conjunction with local schools we have created a cartoon character who helps tell the Regimental story. This has also generated branding and marketing opportunities that we have still to exploit properly. The dedicated website is at www.bydandy.co.uk

17. Establish Effective Community Links. We have cultivated links with a wide variety of schools, colleges and other voluntary groups across the City to each other’s mutual advantage. Two examples will suffice: a recent successful minor exhibition saw students from the School of Art design a scarf inspired by items on the Museum for sale in the shop. Pupils from local schools were able to interview Volunteers with war service on camera, producing a film that was eventually shown in local cinemas.

18. Create Support Networks. We have both formal and informal networks.

a. Museum Advisory Board. Key members of the local community, including the Lord Provost and local councillors, businessmen and a representative of the local paper sit on the Advisory Board that meets quarterly. This enables them to offer guidance on the direction the Museum should take.

b. The Friends of the Gordon Highlanders Museum. This is a separate charity in its own right. With some 500 members, it generates around £5K of subscription income per year which it uses either to purchase items for the museum or to fund our educational activities. A significant number of local worthies are Friends.

c. Formal Fundraising Activities. We have a major fund raising event every 3 years. We believe that anything more frequent than this will be counterproductive. Key to this are our corporate clients. The last event 2 years ago produced a profit of around £60K and helped maintain goodwill. We hope to raise at least this again next year.

d. The Regimental Association. We produce an integrated Forecast of Events covering both the Association and Museum activities.

19. Establish A Programme of Continuous Improvement. To keep the Museum alive you have to run to stand still. Since opening the Museum has continued to upgrade its facilities. Over the past 15 years we have built a silver room, an armoury and a classroom. We are about to embark on a £150K upgrade of the tearoom and shop. Our website is in the process of being improved and a significant part of our collection can now be accessed on line. Our Next Action

20. Areas for improvement over the next 12 months include improving regular donations, improving our marketing, and reducing our operating costs further in line with an environmental study. We hope that the revamp of the tearoom and shop will improve the profit generated in both areas. We want to increase our web-based sales. We are also working closely with other Military Museums in Scotland to exchange best practice and are assisting in the re-establishment of an Association of Scottish Military Museums to do this.

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ARMY MUSEUMS OGILBY TRUST GRANTS POLICY

In accordance with the objectives of its Founder, the Army Museums Ogilby Trust continues to offer financial support to regimental and corps museums for the professional training of museum staff and the provision of funding for specific projects. The award of an AMOT Grant should be publicly recognised by suitable attribution in the museum concerned. When funds are contributed towards a major scheme they should be applied to a defined, small element of the overall project with which AMOT will be identified as an individual sponsor.

Grants fall into two categories and the timetable and bidding criteria for each are set out below: Grants-in-Aid. Grants of up to £2,000 are available and bids should be submitted in accordance with the following timetable:

Bids to Director AMOT by: 31 May Consideration of bids by AMOT Trustees at their meeting in: June Trustees' decisions promulgated in: July Provision of funds: July - March

And should contain the following detail:

Description of the project. Total costs. Other contributions towards the cost, including those from the bidding museum’s own

resources. Summary of the museum’s financial position. Time by which funds are required.

It is intended that the rules governing the provision of Grants-in-Aid should not be prescriptive and Trustees are keen to encourage applications for a wide range of projects. Informal advice on eligibility may be sought from the Director AMOT at any time. Training Grants. Grants will normally be limited to a maximum of £150 per individual to help offset training costs. Bids may be submitted at any time and should contain details of:

Type of training proposed or undertaken. Name and appointment of person(s) for whom training to be provided. Total cost. Contributions made by individuals/museum trusts or others. Benefit of training to museum concerned.

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WW1 CENTENARY PROJECTS HLF Grants Schemes

There are several HLF Grants Schemes to which museums can bid for funding in respect of WW1 centenary related projects and these are summarised below. Before considering which Scheme may be most appropriate for your project you may wish to note the following points on which AMOT has taken advice from the HLF.

The sheer volume of applications for funds to support WW1 centenary projects will be huge and will not be restricted to organisations commemorating military events. All aspects of wartime experience will be eligible and competition will be intense. The submission of Group Applications could avoid unnecessary competition between regimental and corps museums.

Many regimental museums may be considering projects with a sharper focus on a particular campaign or battle rather than the Great War as a whole. A group application could be submitted to cover sequential displays in different museums on different dates, perhaps incorporating aspects of the travelling exhibitions offered by the National Army Museum. There are two types of Group Application to consider:

Regional Group Applications for museums in a geographic area will, if below the £100,000 threshold, be considered by the Head of Country/Region of the HLF (The decisions are made by officers, not a committee). Such applications need not be made by groups of military museums only but a regimental or corps museum could join or provide the lead for a group of organisations seeking to commemorate the experiences of xxxxxshire (for example) at home and abroad during the war.

Regimental Group Applications need not be restricted to a particular Region but would be linked to the modern regiment and its various antecedent regimental museums. Where such bids involved museums from more than one Region or country, they would be considered by the HLF’s National Board, irrespective of the amount requested. As this Board normally deals with large bids only an application for a modest sum could perhaps be more easily accommodated but it would be subjected to the normal level of scrutiny characteristically applied at the national level.

HLF Programmes

Sharing Heritage £3,000 - £10,000 New programme for those wanting to explore share and commemorate their community’s heritage. Suitable for exhibitions events, volunteer training and support. Our Heritage £10,000 - £100,000 Supports all types of heritage project. Particularly suitable for museum collections and archives and projects related to memories such as recording oral histories.

Heritage Grants £100,000 - £5million Current programme suitable for all types of heritage projects. Applications are subject to 2 rounds of scrutiny and no changes to the process are planned. Heritage Enterprise £100,000 - £5million New programme for the repair, adaptation and refurbishment of historic buildings in areas of economic disadvantage where it will contribute to sustainable development.

Transition Funding £10,00 - £100,000 Available to organisations with previous HLF investment to review their strategies and business plans and, where necessary with mentor support, identify ways of achieving greater sustainability.

Full details of all HLF Grants Programmes can be found at www.hlf.org.uk/HOWTOAPPLY/PROGRAMMES/Pages/programmes.aspx

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ARTS COUNCIL ENGLAND’S NEW STRUCTURE

ACE is to undergo a major restructuring to come into operation on 1 July 2013 as a consequence

of Government requirements for a reduction in administrative costs.

The principal changes are:

21% reduction in staff from 559 to 442 50% reduction in the number of executive directors from 8 to 4. They will be responsible

for delivery of the overall strategy in conjunction with the Chief Executive. 50% reduction in property costs with major offices retained in London, Birmingham.

Manchester and Bristol together with some small local offices. Leadership of art form and policy expertise will be distributed geographically, with

everyone having a local and national focus. Current regions will be replaced by five areas covering London, the South-East, the South

West, the Midlands and the North. National policy leads will focus on children, young people and learning, creative media, engagement and audiences. National discipline leads will include museums, philanthropy, fundraising and private giving, organisational resilience and environmental sustainability.

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VOLUNTEERING MANAGEMENT

By Colonel Peter Walton

Colonel (retd) Peter Walton was Secretary (aka Director) of AMOT 1989-96 and has been a member of the Museums Association and of BAfM ever since.

Volunteering is a much misused word. As a young soldier one was advised by the old sweats never to volunteer. Later on, one learned that it was quite a good thing to put your hand up – always assuming that you knew what you were doing. Much later on, having retired, one learns a new lesson: if you volunteer for a role which is interesting and rewarding it is really very difficult to withdraw short of second or even ultimate retirement. Lately a great deal of hype has surrounded the excellent way in which volunteers both helped the Olympics to happen and hugely enjoyed themselves at the same time. All of which commonly, though here in the context of museums, tends to hide the serious work behind the scenes without which volunteering may not be good for everyone concerned. Before I go further, what I have to say is based on funded national research for the British Association of Friends of Museums (or BAfM) in 1997-98 followed by writing the first Handbook for the heritage sector published in 1999 (second edition published in 2009 – see www.bafm.org.uk). Since then I have been the BAfM (Volunteer) Consultant on Volunteering Management with a seat on the Council. My general pitch is that as the vast majority of Museums and other Heritage institutions cannot even open their doors without volunteer support, the subject of volunteers’ roles and their administration must be pretty important. And yet, more commonly than not, it is taken for granted. One of the reasons for this is that there is as yet no funded system of “professional” training for managers (and administrators) of volunteers – lots of books, a fair number of day-release courses on specific aspects, a supply of visiting consultants – but no proper training for people who have in their job spec the Volunteering equivalent of Human Resources. The BAfM Handbook is both what it says on the cover and, conceivably, the syllabus for such a course – but no sign yet. We can, however, congratulate the Arts Council (England), the newish owners of Accreditation (or what was Registration), on their undertaking to include some recognition of the need for Volunteers to be supported by people who have been trained within a system which recognises the differences between them and paid staff. They had a go in the December 2011 edition of the Accreditation Scheme. But then, having overdone the demands they made (specifically, for signed agreements – which we regard as dangerous and absolutely do not recommend), they have withdrawn all such detailed specifications in a fresh edition of their Guidance (confusingly dated October 2011 (2012?) – see their website. Now they are re-considering the subject and how they should assess a Museum’s systems of effective workforce management. We and others have strongly recommended that they should begin by checking the Museum’s Volunteer Policy which is a fundamental management tool and also evidence of Governing Body decisions including the provision of funds: volunteers are not free labour! We await the next step. In the meantime, if you have or would like to have Volunteers and have not yet thought through how they should be attracted, accepted (or not), trained, administered, encouraged and thanked – and would value some help – please feel free to buy the book from BAfM, or just ask me. Any time will do … peterwalton590@btinternet.com Peter Walton 01580 242855

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BOARDS AND TRUSTEES A Serious Undertaking

This principal theme of this year’s AMOT Conference was how to respond to the increasing financial pressures under which museums operate and how to adapt to the constant need “to do more with less”. In ‘Open Forum’ it became very clear that successful museums were those which enjoyed the active leadership of supportive, knowledgeable and enthusiastic boards of trustees.

There is no shortage of advice on this subject and some sources are listed below. This short article aims to highlight five key points which, if addressed, should achieve beneficial results. 1. RECRUITMENT & SUCCESSION PLANNING: Modern practice is to advertise widely for trustees with the internet providing a readily available tool complemented by use of personal contacts and recommendations. Both approaches should be based on a common process of a simple application form and interview. However, the method of recruitment is of secondary importance to the outcome of recruitment which is to attract trustees who have the time, interest and skills to make a positive contribution to successful governance. This outcome can be achieved through carefully targeted recruitment and diligent succession planning.

2. INDUCTION: Trustees have real responsibilities and there is obvious mutual benefit to the individual and the charity when these are clearly understood. Prospective trustees should be provided with a full brief on the charity’s role, the terms of its governing document and be made fully aware of their powers and duties. Trustees may benefit from an occasional refresher presentation by a specialist legal adviser or local Community and Voluntary Service representative.

3. YOUNG BLOOD/NEW BLOOD: Recognising the expectations of young visitors, civilian or serving military, is fundamental to success. Younger trustees can provide insights beyond the imagination of older colleagues who will contribute sufficient experience and balance to maintain the character of the Board. Trustees with no military background encourage connections with the wider community within which the museum sits. Continuity is important but it is also essential that Boards have a dynamic membership to stimulate fresh thinking and combat complacency. Fixed appointment terms with clear rules governing renewals and maximum age should be the norm.

4. TIME: From the outset Trustees should be made aware of the time that they are expected to contribute to the charity and they, in turn, should commit to meet that expectation. This should extend beyond formal Trustee Meetings and include involvement in committee work and the out-of-committee provision of specialist comment and advice.

5. SKILLS: Effective Boards tend to be groups of people with different skills and personalities, all pursuing a common vision. Composition of such a Board will often result from a skills audit that identifies the range of specialist skills required for good governance and sets them against those currently available. Results will feed directly into the recruitment process referred to above. Finding New Trustees - http://www.charity-commission.gov.uk/publications/cc30.aspx Managing charity assets and resources - http://www.charity-commission.gov.uk/publications/cc25.aspx The Essential Trustee - http://www.charity-

commission.gov.uk/charity_requirements_guidance/charity_essentials/the_essential_trustee.aspx The Hallmarks of an effective Charity - http://www.charity-commission.gov.uk/publications/cc10.aspx How to resign as a Trustee - http://www.charity-commission.gov.uk/faqs/running_a_charity/id195.aspx The ICSA Charity Trustee’s Guide – ISBN 9781860724909 - http://www.icsabookshop.co.uk/disp.php?ID=830

Trustees have and must accept ultimate responsibility for directing the affairs of a charity and ensuring that it is solvent, well-run and delivering the charitable outcomes for the benefit of the public for which it has been set up.

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GOVERNANCE MATTERS

CRB checks A new set of information leaflets explaining the changes in CRB checks is available from the Home Office for England, Wales and Northern Ireland. The changes came into force in September. A new national organisation to replace the Criminal Records Bureau (the Disclosure & Barring Service) was due to be launched on 1 December.

http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/publications/crime/disclosure-and-barring/

Charities and reserves - new research and tips for trustees

Does your charity have a reserves policy, and, if so, does your Trustees’ Annual Report (TAR) explain that policy clearly?

New research by the Charity Commission suggests that over three quarters of TARs now include a statement about the charity’s reserves policy - up from less than half six years ago. That is good news, but the research also finds that many charities - especially smaller charities - do not explain clearly enough why they hold a certain level of reserves and under which circumstance the reserves might be used. Charity law requires charities to spend income within a reasonable period of time - so it’s important trustees explain why they hold income in reserve. Read the Commission’s guidance Charities and Reserves (CC19) for details about trustees’ duties. Also, umbrella bodies Charity Finance Group, ACEVO, and the Institute of Fundraising have collaborated on a new publication called Beyond Reserves. It includes case studies of charities’ approach to reserves and provides useful insights and practical tips.

http://www.charitycommission.gov.uk/Publications/cc19.aspx and http://www.cfg.org.uk/resources/Publications/~/media/Files/Resources/CFDG%20Publications/SV_Re

serves_Final.ashx

Preventing fraud in charities - new guidance The Charity Commission has joined forces with others to create a new guide on preventing and responding to fraud in charities. Charity Fraud - a guide for the trustees and managers of charities explains what trustees’ duties are towards their charities. It includes a checklist on things you should do to prevent problems from happening in the first place, and explains how to respond if you find out that your charity has fallen victim to fraud. For instance, the guide features a flow chart explaining when to report incidents of fraud to whom. The guide is published by the Charity Finance Group in collaboration with the Commission and a range of organisations, including the National Council of Voluntary Organisations (NCVO), the National Fraud Authority, the Fraud Advisory Panel and the Serious Organised Crime Agency. The new guide summarises the Commission’s own detailed guidance (Compliance Toolkit, Chapter 3: Fraud and Financial Crime).

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THE ADJUTANT GENERAL’S CORPS MUSEUM

Moving Forward By Ian Bailey, Curator AGC Museum

The Royal Army Pay Corps Museum was at Worthy Down, the Royal Army Educational Corps Museum was at Eltham Palace in West London, with some displays at Beaconsfield and the Women’s Royal Army Corps Museum was at Guildford. The Royal Military Police Museum was located at Rousillion Barracks in Chichester.

Following amalgamation in 1992 the Royal Army Pay Corps Museum remained at Worthy Down until 1993 at which point it was boxed and stored in a variety of places. The Eltham Palace Museum closed but the Beaconsfield display remained in being. These two displays have now been gifted by their Trustees to the Adjutant General’s Corps Museum Trust. The WRAC Museum closed and its collection was transferred to the National Army Museum in London.

Following the re-organisation of RHQ AGC and the reduction of support to the RAPC and RAEC Association it was essential that the corps journals of these organisations were digitalised and they and the Trustees of the museum agreed to co-fund a digitisation project.

A digitisation Consultant from Townsweb Archiving Ltd visited us at the museum and after a useful meeting outlining their services and discussion on which parts of our collection we were considering to digitise, agreement of costs were finalised and Townsweb archiving Ltd arranged to collect and digitise the journals in various formats including Tiff, jpeg and OCR’d PDF. There were additional difficulties to overcome in that the journals were bound and so had to remain in this state throughout the process.

Simon Chandler-Barratt from Townsweb Archiving kept me informed as to the progress and when the anticipated completion and return of the collection.

We digitised in total 175 journals which created over 12,000 images and have been really impressed with the quality of output and the professionalism of TownswebArchiving Ltd. Since the digitisation process, I often wonder how the museum managed prior to the project. The use of the digitised archives enables the museum to greatly increase the speed of research; it is more accurate and has the additional bonus of reducing the wear on the original journals. The Regimental Associations now have a portable archive of their journals, which allows their officers’ to work away from the Corps’ RHQ

We are now in consultation with them to add additional content with the WRAC Association, as this project has created a good deal of interest and we look forward to working with them again in 2013.

Before the formation of the Adjutant General's Corps in 1992, four of the Antecedent Corps had their own museum.

The Royal Military Police Museum remains a separate institution but moved to the former HMS DRYAD site – renamed Southwick Park - in 2009. Items from the RMP Museum are displayed so that their history is portrayed within the AGC museum. The Military Provost Staff Corps has a small historic collection, mainly for teaching purposes at the MCTC in Colchester, and elements of this enhance the AGC Museum displays. The Army Legal Services does not have a collection as such, but efforts are being made to ensure that this important element of the Corps is fully represented in its display.

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TRAINING

Firearms Courses

In a joint venture with the National Army Museum and the Royal Armouries, two one-day courses will be run in Spring 2013 to cover administrative and legal aspects of firearms collections, weapon handling, the history and development of weapons and their conservation, display and storage. Funded by ACE through the AMOT Subject Specialist Network these courses are offered free of charge to regimental and corps museums.

Course 1: Wednesday 23rd January at the National Army Museum in London. 10am – 4pm Closing date for applications is 14th January Course 2: Wednesday 20th March at the Royal Armouries in Leeds. 10 am – 4pm Closing date for applications is 11th March

Applications should be made to Julian Farrance, the Regimental Museums Liaison Officer at the National Army Museum at jfarrance@nam.ac.uk

Visitor Engagement Training Provided by CREW Training

Course 1: Gallery Engagements. This course concentrates on Gallery Engagement Formats, designed to engage with individuals, couples or small groups of public. CREW will demonstrate examples of best practice and participants will be given the opportunity to practice various formats. The CREW team will use drama and role-play techniques to help develop the participants confidence and engagement skills. Throughout the day participants will be given the chance to brainstorm ideas for practical application in their own Museums, leaving them with the skills and inspiration to create their own, museum specific ‘Gallery Engagements’.

Price: £60 p/p (lunch not included) Dates: Tue 26th Feb, 2013 Firepower Museum, Woolwich, London www.firepower.org.uk/ Wed 26th Feb, 2013 The Fusilier Museum, Bury www.fusiliermuseum.com/ Please direct all enquiries and bookings to info@crew.uk.net N.B. Closing date for bookings is Friday 15th Feb

Course 2: Interactive Talks and Tours. This course enables the staff/volunteer to learn how to engage and interact with groups of visitors in a ‘Tour/Talk’ scenario. Staff/volunteers will learn how to conduct the initial introduction in a way that ensures visitors are given the permission and confidence to contribute and interact during the experience. Interactive engagement and volunteer techniques will ensure that staff can retain the attention of their visitors throughout their tours. In addition to which they learn how to control visitors and unsolicited contributions ensuring that all visitors have an interesting, exciting and positive experience. This day uses extended drama techniques and role-play to ‘challenge’ the participants and develop their confidence and ‘presentation skills’.

Price: £60 p/p (lunch not included) Dates: Tue 11th June, 2013 Firepower Museum, Woolwich, London www.firepower.org.uk/ Wed 12th June, 2013 The Fusilier Museum, Bury www.fusiliermuseum.com/ Please direct all enquiries and bookings to info@crew.uk.net N.B. Closing date for bookings is Friday 31st May

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Regimental Curators Course

The next course for those responsible for the care of regimental collections will be held at The Fusilier Museum in Bury Monday 15th April – Wednesday 17th April 2013.

This is the first in a new pattern of courses which has the Spring Course taking place outside London with the Autumn Course held at the National Army Museum.

Designed principally for museum curators the course is also suitable for anyone involved in with regimental and corps museums including trustees and volunteers.

The course fee is £50 and applications should be made to jfarrance@nam.ac.uk

THE ARMY HISTORICAL BRANCH By Peter Donnelly

Curator, The King’s Own Royal Regiment Museum

Many Regimental Museums will be aware of the existence of the Army Historical Branch (named Corporate Memory Branch 2001-2012) at the Ministry of Defence in Whitehall, but have probably had little contact with them. A kind invitation, through AMOT, was extended for museums to visit and learn about their role as well as a look around their collections.

The staff of the branch, reduced from 18 three years ago to nine, provide a support to present Operations; capture and maintain army operational records; assist with legal cases; and provide historical advice on things such as regimental titles, cap badges and battle honours.

The small branch is split into four teams: Historical; Iraq; Afghanistan and Operational Record Keeping. The ORK team briefs unit on the type of record (War Diary in old money) that should be maintained on operations and when it should be submitted. The Iraq and Afghanistan teams supply information when required, which includes material for legal cases and inquiries. The Historical Team provide more general advice on a wide range of matters including work on Army 2020, and advice on Gun Salutes for things like Royal births.

Their collections, in the basement of MOD, include records, often now in electronic form, of what the Army did in the past thirty years. If your museum has units deployed you can call upon them for information, and they will be happy to discuss what is and is not available. Research by a bona fide author for a regimental history on behalf of a regiment should be possible, but they will provide full advice on this. They can easily search the electronic records, by name, army number, date etc.

What is of more assistance to museums looking for material older than 30 years – is their collective knowledge as to where something may be. They themselves use the collections at The National Archives, and can certainly act as a signpost to other sources. On their shelves they included useful material including copies of Army Council Instructions; records of the Army Board; Defence Council Instructions; King’s and Queen’s Regulations for the Army; and details of Medals and Battle Honours.

If you are stuck for a little piece of information, such as the wording of an Army Council Instruction, or an obscure abbreviation in a personnel record the Branch would be worth contacting.

The Branch are, like the rest of us, clearly very busy, so I would consider making an enquiry once I had exhausted all the usual sources!

Contact: Army Historical Branch, 3/G/19, Ministry of Defence, Main Building, Whitehall, London, SW1A 2HB

Email – Head of Branch – Mr Bob Evans CIO-CI-CMemAnalysisAstHd@mod.uk

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Amazingly Easy Interactive Displays

InfoAktiv is a breakthrough in providing interactive displays and information points. 

By dramatically reducing cost and complexity, professional displays can be created in‐house. 

No programming

No need for special content

No need to hire outside

specialists

InfoAktiv software automatically creates attractive

and engaging touch screen displays from information you already have; documents, videos, oral histories, presentations, animations and more. You have total flexibility to change what is displayed whenever you want. Take it a stage further and add interactive ‘virtual tours’ and 3D views of exhibits for a truly immersive experience.

EXPECT MORE ! Flexibility, Support and Investment Protection 

 

With InfoAktiv you get far more than a one‐off digital interactive. It is a long‐term investment with 

the  infrastructure and support to enable you to manage your  interactive displays and keep them 

current for years to come. It provides:  

A widely‐used platform to create, distribute and localise interactive information.  

Backup, support and on‐going software development to ensure that you get the best out of 

your investment for years to come. 

A community of customers and companies collaborating to provide material and expertise.  

The ability to take complete control of your own displays. 

 You wouldn’t buy a display case if you could never change its contents, so why do the same with digital displays? 

   

Contact David Slater now to find out more about InfoAktiv or arrange a 

free loan of a complete system to try with your own material. 

Tel. 01730‐320322. Email dave.slater@infoaktiv.com. 

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Saluting The Digital Innovators In Our Museums

Nobody knows more about a museum’s collection and visitors than the people who work there. Therefore it’s not surprising that the best and most innovative ideas for displays and

interpretation usually come from the curators and staff of the museums themselves.

At InfoAktiv we never cease to be impressed with the new ideas that customers come up with once they have the tools to create digital interactives in-house. Here are some of my recent highlights. What they have in common is that they were all done by curatorial staff and volunteers at the museums themselves, all we did was to provide the underlying systems they run on. Bringing an Art Exhibition to Life – The Gurkha Museum The Gurkha’s McDonald Gallery played host to the superb ‘Nepal Awakening’ exhibition of paintings and sketches by contemporary Scottish artist Gordon Davidson. They came up with the pioneering idea of using their InfoAktiv system to display images of the works in the gallery along with video of Gordon at work and, describing in his own words, what he saw, what he was trying to convey and how he did it. For art buffs and non-experts alike this provided a wonderful level of insight beyond what is normally provided at an art exhibition. Needless to say, the public and the artist himself were deeply impressed. Creating a Permanent Legacy from Temporary Exhibitions – The Light Box Museums put months of work in to preparing top quality temporary exhibitions. Sadly, after even the most successful, much of the work tends to be consigned to deep storage or a skip when the exhibition is over. This summer, the Light Box in Woking ran one of their most ambitions temporary exhibitions to-date - ‘From Mummies to Motorbikes’ – charting the development of a historic site in the town. After a couple of hours of training Jenny Webb set about creating an interactive display. In a remarkably short time an information point was created containing a great quantity and variety of information: Videos of WWI planes built there, oral histories of employees, picture galleries and information about what was on display. Jenny’s display, combined with other visuals created for the exhibition and a ‘virtual tour’ of the gallery, can now be kept on an InfoAktiv system providing a permanent archive of ‘From Mummies to Motorbikes’ and other past exhibitions.

Another interesting idea from the Woking team was to mount the touch screen at knee level in front of a bench half way around the exhibition. This provided a natural place to stop and rest as well as making the screen accessible to younger children. It worked extremely well, the system’s audit file recorded almost 4,000 item viewings during the exhibition. Making the Most of Musical Exhibits - The Royal Military School of Music Museum The museum at Kneller Hall has one of the finest collections of musical instruments and manuscripts in the country. Naturally, most of them can be viewed in display cases, but what everyone really wants to know is ‘What do they sound like?’ To answer that vital question, Adrian Kingston created a system that allows visitors to search for regimental music, instruments or manuscripts, view them, and touch the screen to hear them being played. The system continues to grow and evolve as time permits. Getting the enhanced sound quality he wanted was a simple matter of adding a relatively inexpensive pair of Bose speakers to the PC running InfoAktiv. This has added a new and vital dimension to the visitor experience at Kneller Hall. The most important thing to note is that these very successful projects were the work of museum staff and subject matter experts, not computer experts. All they needed was a system that was easy and versatile enough for them to create the interactive displays they envisaged. The Churchillian spirit runs high in our museum curators: “Give us the tools and we will finish the job!”

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Recently a Regimental Secretary asked if any NADFAS volunteers work in churches as he was keen to discover the whereabouts of any unknown memorials to members of his regiment. NADFAS Church Recorders have recorded the contents of over 1680 churches throughout the UK. Working in small groups and with the permission of the church these volunteers aim to produce a detailed inventory of every item within the church including memorials. Every item is recorded in the same format and in the appropriate section to make it easy for future reference. When a military memorial is discovered these details are passed to The National Inventory of War Memorials, Imperial War Museum to add to their records. Once the Church Recorders have completed their task paper copies of the record are lodged with County record offices, the English Heritage Archive, the Churches Buildings Council Library and the National Art Library at the V & A Museum and are used by academics, researchers, and by the police when a church has been burgled. Often military memorials are in small private chapels or places of worship not open to the public and NADFAS Church Recorders are happy to ensure these important memorials are not forgotten. An index of completed Church Records is now available on online and details of how this information can be accessed can be found on ‘the what we do page’ at www.nadfas.org Recording military memorials, recording and cleaning medals, photographing collections and working with museum or private archives are just some of the ways NADFAS volunteers can help. Nothing is too much trouble for our dedicated, professionally trained and enthusiastic volunteers so please remember NADFAS if you need help.

NADFAS CHURCH RECORDERS

By Jill Makepeace-Warne National Chairman, NADFAS

Consultancy help and advice based on many years’ experience

of working in, and with, Army museums:

Governance reviews

Trustee recruitment and development

Staff and volunteer training

Museum modernisation and improvement

Forward planning For information contact: Christine Beresford Tel: 01264 720421 - 07802 461825

Email: beresford@woodwalk.fsbusiness.co.uk

ccbb ssoolluuttiioonnss

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CARE OF MUSEUM PICTURE COLLECTIONS

This is the first in the series of “Curator’s Tips” from the National Army Museum

By Robert Fleming Information & Community Outreach Curator

National Army Museum Invariably museum collections contain images in various formats. The most common image type in the modern age in photography, although historical collections often also contain prints, drawings, watercolours, pastels, oils and other painting types.

The care and display of such collections requires special attention, as many of these artefacts are fragile, and easily subject to damage or degradation over time if not properly cared for. There are some simple rules and practices that if observed, will ensure that collections will last for as long as possible, to be enjoyed, studied and displayed by future generations. Storage One of the first important considerations for proper collection care is the storage facilities themselves. Ideally different object types and different mediums should be kept separate, in climate-controlled facilities. Whilst this may not be practical for smaller museums, there are measures that can be taken to reduce environmental risks.

Try to keep different object types separately – for example, drawers of prints, boxes of drawings, shelves of volumes and books. If possible, obtain inert acid-free archival boxes to store volumes and folios.

Framed artwork should be removed from the frame if safe to do so without damaging the surface. This is to prevent the frames and the artworks from sticking to each other. But remember to carefully label both the frame and artwork as belonging together, especially with historical or purpose-made frames. Exceptions may be pastels or charcoal drawings where glazed frames might provide protection to their fragile surfaces. Pastels should also be glazed with glass, not Perspex to avoid static disruption of the surface. When storing frames, place them back-to-back, or front-to-front, but not series of front-to-back – if unwrapped, place buffers in between such as strips of plastazote. Ideally, wrap them in acid-free tissue and then polythene plastic to protect them from dust and other particulate abrasives. When wrapping objects in plastic, use masking tape and not duct tape or parcel tape, as these degrade and give off sticky residues that can damage objects.

Paper-based items should be kept individually and separated from each other. Ideally they should be stored in inert purpose designed bags such as melenex or acid-free card folders. The National Army Museum uses Secol bags to keep prints, and acid-free card folders for this purpose. Each item has its own bag or folder, and each should be carefully labelled with the items accession number, and permanent location. Volumes and folios should not be separated if still intact thought. All items should be kept flat, and although neat stacking is acceptable, do not overload or heavily stack large piles of prints. Although keeping items flat is preferable, if an object has been kept rolled for a long time, it may be safer to keep it rolled, and purpose-made acid-free tubes can be obtained for this purpose. The accession number should also be lightly recorded in removable pencil on the back of the item itself.

All stores should have thorough, accurate and regularly update location lists, whether kept electronically on a computer database, or in the form of paper-based lists. Paper-based lists should be kept in duplicate in separate locations. Objects moved from one place to another or put on display should have their movements updated on movement lists, and their new location recorded,

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even if the movement is temporary. It is also worth taking digital images of each object. This provides an image which can be viewed when researching the object, minimising movement, but can also provide comparisons over time which are useful to conservators to assess degradation or damage, and when doing restoration work. Object Handling The second important consideration is object handling. Generally common sense should be applied. There are no hard and fast rules about object handling, but the following should be generally applied – Keep objects in a dust-free environment and regularly vacuum stores and galleries. Avoid ever placing objects directly on the floor – risks include dirt and dust on the floor, accidental kicking or treading on items below the eyeline, bending, or the item slipping or falling over. Wash your hands before handling objects, but ensure they are dry and free from soap before touching objects. Preferably, gloves should be worn if available, especially for silver, other metals and paper objects. Also wear gloves for gilded frames, but beware of cotton gloves catching loose edges or fragile gilding. Never lean on, or trace over prints or drawings. Do not touch the surface of drawings, oils or pastels. Avoid bending, curving or folding of paper and textile items, and attempt to move the items kept horizontal and flat if practical to do so. Never pick up three-dimensional items by their handles – always place one hand under the base, and one to the side to provide support. When working with three-dimensional objects, place them on a clear, flat surface at workbench height, whether sitting or standing, and placing an absorbing material such as plastazote on the surface will minimise any damage should you slip and drop the item. Conservation Ultra-violet light is one of the primary causes of degradation of paper-based collections, so attempts should be made to totally exclude exposure to UV light. For this reason, galleries that allow UV light to enter, ie those with un-filtered windows, should never be used to display watercolours at all, and prints or other items on display should be regularly rotated to minimise exposure. The National Army Museum does not ever display watercolours in permanent galleries. If watercolours are to be displayed for a temporary exhibition, consider window filters, or obscuring the light entirely by blacking out the windows, and lights should be placed on timers or motion sensors. Gallery lighting should not exceed 200 lux for oils, or 50 lux for watercolours and other works on paper. Access If permitting public or researcher access to your collections, keep movement slips or lists of all items provided, and check them back when finished with. Ensure all people coming into contact with your collection view a copy of your object handling rules, which should outline the advice above, ie no tracing or leaning on items, keep items flat, only use pencil to make notes, and do not remove items from their bags. By observing these basic principles of collection care for paper-based collections, you ensure the best likelihood of the collection surviving for as long as possible, and you are therefore making a positive contribution to preserving the legacy of your collection.

WANTED

Cumbria’s Military Museum at Carlisle Castle is looking for a uniform of the wartime Woman’s Voluntary Service, either to copy or keep. Any other W.V.S. artefacts would also be of interest.

Please contact Tony Goddard at borderregiment@aol.com or korbrmuseum@aol.com

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ASSOCIATION OF INDEPENDENT MUSEUMS

AIM Success Guides

AIM is publishing a new series of information sheets to replace the current Focus Papers, AIM Guides for Success. Twelve titles are planned including two major new ones, one reviewing the law on collection assets and inalienability for charitable trusts and company and another looking at issues surrounding TUPE and Assets Transfer. These are being undertaken in association with Farrer & Co. of London. The new series will be available in an easily downloadable format on the AIM website in spring 2013.

They are: • Securing the Future of your Collections • Successful Asset and Staff Transfer to Trust Status • Successful Trustee Recruitment • Successful Risks Management and Insurance • Successful Business Planning • Successful Governance • Successful Fundraising and Gift Aid philanthropy • Successful Retailing • Successful Catering • Successful Venue and Location Hire • Successful Recruiting and Retaining Volunteers • Successful Visitor Experiences

THE ASSOCIATION FOR CULTURAL ENTERPRISES

ACE CONVENTION AND TRADE SHOW 2013 THINKTANK, BIRMINGHAM

27 & 28 FEBRUARY AND 1 MARCH 2013 Book now for the 14th ACE Convention & Trade Show in Birmingham in 2013. This is the UK’s most informative and exciting event for those working in retail and publishing across the cultural and heritage sector.

Here are the important things you need to know

Take advantage of the special ACE member rate - for AMOT members - of £290 for the full Convention including dinner or £260 without dinner

Two days of stimulating seminars by the very best speakers o More than two days of the biggest UK heritage retail trade show o The Welcome drinks party o The 3-course Gala Dinner & entertainment o The Prestigious ACE Best Product Awards

Join ACE in Birmingham – it will be exciting, inspirational and real value for money –ensure you book as soon as possible as some places are limited. Booking is via the ACE website at www.acenterprises.org.uk. or contact Jill Fenwick on 01669 631210.

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BOOKS

Tracing Your Service Women Ancestors A Guide for Family Historians

By Mary Ingham

Comprehensive guide to researching service women from the 1850s to the 1930s Focuses on the First World War Information on research services in archives, museums, libraries and on-line Covers the WAAC, WRENS, WRAF, VADS, nurses, doctors, etc.

RRP: £14.99 ISBN 9781848841734 Paperback 224 pages Published by Pen & Sword Purchase through trade@pen-and-sword.co.uk

Battle on The Aisne 1914 The BEF and the Birth of the Western Front

By Jerry Murland

Studies the fiercely fought battles of the BEF during September 1914 Pre-trench warfare calling on personal stories and first hand accounts In depth analysis of a little known battle by expert published author

RRP: £19.99 ISBN 9781848847699 Hardback 248 pages Published by Pen & Sword Purchase through trade@pen-and-sword.co.uk

Walking with the Ulster Division A history and travel guide for those with an interest in the

36th (Ulster) Division in the Great War ByJonnie Armstrong

This large (A4 size) full colour book traces the 36th (Ulster) Division from before its raising in 1914 to its final disbandment in 1919 after the Great War was won. As well as going through the Division's history, it is full of battlemaps, photographs, battle walks and routes, along with walking and tourist maps and is a must for anyone wanting to follow the Ulster Division on the Western Front in the Great War. It is as much a tourist guide as it is a history.

RRP: £19.50 Discounts available on 5 or more copies from mail@ulsterdivision.co.uk

The British Garrison Berlin 1945 - 1994 A Pictorial Historiography of the British Occupation

By William Durie

Insights and detailed information on the military and political status of the city drawn from previously unpublished documents and photographs. It reveals every facet of British

Life at the Wall: garrison life, the activities of BRIXMIS and the YAK 28 coup.

RRP: £20 ISBN 978-3-86408-068-5 Available from amazon.co.uk