Our interview this issue is with Freya Cox - Volunteer Support Officer at Ripon Museum Trust. Following on from the previous article relating to how much volunteering adds to the UK economy, Freya talks about her work on the supported volunteering work which she coordinates at the three museums. Please introduce yourself. Hello, my name is Freya. I have been working for Ripon Museum Trust (RMT) for 18 months as the Volunteer Support Officer. This is a bit of an unusual job title but, essentially, it means my job is to make sure that volunteering opportunities are enjoyable and accessible for everyone. I look at what barriers prevent people from getting involved and how we, as an organisation, can tackle them. This can involve working one-on-one with individuals to give them extra support, looking at how we can make adjustments in the workplace or providing training on how we embrace and support diversity as a team. What attracted you to the organisation and role? I have always wanted to work in a social history organisation as I love how it can connect communities with their pasts and give them pride in their identities. However, I have always struggled with the fact that the heritage sector has historically excluded so many people. A role that actively challenged this issue and allowed me to look at how to make an organisation a more inclusive place was therefore the perfect fit. It was exciting to see that an organisation like RMT was challenging itself to include more people in its work and I really wanted to be part of a team that was demonstrating that heritage could do more and be more resilient when it opened itself up to more people. What would you say to anyone thinking of becoming a Volunteer Coordinator/ Manager?
Working with volunteers can be challenging – you are working very closely with people but in a completely different dynamic to how you would work with your ‘regular’ colleagues. You have to make sure you are delivering the business priorities of the organisation whilst also making sure that volunteers feel appreciated, and their opinions are heard. It sounds straight forward, but it’s really not! That being said, working with volunteers is also the most rewarding part of my job. I’m surrounded by enthusiastic, creative people who genuinely care about RMT and its visitors. I think that this is even truer when it comes to working with supported volunteers. To see people, who may not have always thought working in a museum was for them, become part of a community, gain new skills and confidence is an absolute joy. What have you learnt about yourself while in this role? I’ve learned that heritage is definitely where I want to be! The most exciting thing about this role is being able to connect people with history by being creative about how I design volunteer roles. Watching new volunteers connect with the museum’s subject matter and stories is a real pleasure and makes the job exciting and rewarding. Finally, please tell us something about yourself that your colleagues would be surprised to know. I’m a pretty open book so I’m not sure I have much that would surprise people! Maybe people might be surprised to know that I’m a qualified cross-country coach and I used to help run a team at home in the West Midlands! |
