Dear colleague

Here is this week’s museum news:

1. The details of SHARE’s ‘Ready to Borrow’ scheme (see MiC News 55) has now been finalised and are available at http://sharemuseumseast.org.uk/funding-and-grants/. Please do get in touch with me if you are considering an application.
2. The deadline for the Marsh Trust Awards for museum learning volunteering (see MiC News 57) has been extended to 29 July.
3. The SHARE-funded Cambridgeshire Aviation Heritage Trail is being launched today and is now live at http://cambsaviationheritage.org.uk/. Please let me know what you think of it (within reason!).
4. The booklet which accompanies the MiC ‘Memories’ project is now being distributed and is also available online at http://issuu.com/memoriesinthecommunity/docs/memoriesinthecommunity/1 .
5. The St Neots Victorian Festival is this weekend (see attached).
6. University of Cambridge Museums are advertising for a Photographic intern, closing date 18 July at https://www.le.ac.uk/museumstudies/Jobs2/full_job_descriptions/45151.htm .
7. Congratulations to the Must Farm excavations at Whittlesey who have won ‘Best Discovery’ at this year’s British Archaeological Awards.
8. Congratulations also to the Museum of Cambridge for securing a project grant from the Esmée Fairbairn Collections Fund!

Finally just a reminder that I am in Spain next week

Dear colleague

There’s several items to list this week:

1. Probably the most important item is a reminder that Summer at the Museums is about to get under way. I attach a suggested wording for you to use in press releases etc.
2. There is a vacancy in Suffolk for a Museum Project Officer post at https://www.suffolkjobsdirect.org/libraries-culture-heritage-archaeology-adult-care-community-services-suffolk-museum-project-officer/41305.job, closing date 25 July.
3. The National Heritage Centre for Horseracing and Sporting Art in Newmarket is advertising for an Operations Manager at https://www.palacehousenewmarket.co.uk/about-us/jobs/operations-manager, closing date 8 July.
4. SHARE are inviting tenders for an Audience Development specialist (see attached), closing date 27 July.
5. The latest regional newsletter of the British Association of Friends of Museums is attached.
6. Applications for the Marsh Trust Awards for Volunteers in Museum Learning at http://www.britishmuseum.org/about_us/volunteers/marsh_awards.aspx close on 12 July. If your volunteers are too shy to apply you can do it on their behalf. There are cash awards available.

Finally, just a quick mention that I shall be on holiday for one week from 16 to 24 July inclusive.

Dear colleague

Here’s this week’s crop of news which may be of interest to Cambridgeshire museums:

1. Sorry it’s a bit late, but I attach the agenda for the SHARE Front of House Forum in Newmarket on Tuesday 28 June. There may still be a few places left!
2. SEMFed is looking forward to seeing as many of you as possible for the Hitchin study day and AGM on 22^nd  July – you can book via the website: http://www.semfed.org.uk/events/study-days/.

3. SHARED Enterprise has a ‘Most Significant Change’ event at the Botanic Gardens on 11 July http://sharemuseumseast.org.uk/events/most-significant-change-shared-enterprise-evaluation-workshop/

4. SHARED Enterprise is also offering five funding training cohorts.  At least 3 will run from September 2016 to June 2017, with the second phase running from February – November 2017.  We need a maximum of six museums per cohort and we especially need to find more to make the HLF/Major Capital Development cohort viable. If you are planning an HLF or similar application you should find this support useful.  I’d also like to fill a special cohort for smaller museums in Cambridgeshire for investigating alternative sources of funding.  Accreditation is not necessary for museums to take part in SHARED Enterprise, because it’s not Arts Council funded, but HLF funded. So if you are interested do please contact me.

5. May I draw your attention to the SHARE Retail Forum meeting at Hitchin on  14 July; it looks good!

6. English Heritage is organising a conference on flint at the Ancient House Museum in Thetford on 14-16 July. I can send you details if you’re interested.

7. Suffolk are advertising for an Activity Plan Officer at https://www.suffolkjobsdirect.org/libraries-culture-heritage-archaeology-adult-care-community-services-heritage-lottery-fund-activity-plan-officer/41159.job.

8. I attach a call for papers for a museum conference at Colchester Castle 29-30 September.

Dear colleague

Here is a round-up of this week’s County museum news:

1. SHARE have announced the ACE ‘Ready to Borrow’ small capital grants scheme which is intended to help museums make improvements to security etc to allow them to borrow items from the National Museums and Major Partner Museums. SHARE are planning various forms of support for museums considering applying, but in the meantime I’d be very keen to hear from you if you are thinking of applying. There will be two rounds, the first opening in June, closing in September, awarded in October, plus another one in early 2017 awarding around Easter. Further details are expected very shortly.
2. The Collections Trust have a conference on digitisation of collections in London on 29 September, details at event webpage.
3. The Cambridge Botanic Gardens are advertising for an Education Officer on a one-year contract at http://www.jobs.cam.ac.uk/job/10615/, closing date 17 July.
4. Last Thursday evening saw the celebration of museum volunteers at this year’s SHARE Volunteer Awards at the Fitzwilliam Museum. It was a great event and I wish to congratulate all those nominated from Cambridgeshire museums: Adrain Wright and Jane Williamson from the Farmland Museum; The ‘Portals of the World’ volunteers** from the Fitzwilliam; Philip Stephenson from the Fitzwilliam; The ‘Circuit Cambs’ Team from Kettle’s Yard; the front of house volunteers from the Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology; Michael Loy*from the Museum of Classical Archaeology; Leslie Lawrence and David Stubbings from the Cambridge Museum of Technology; Alex Tomkins* from the Zoology Museum; the geology volunteers team from Peterborough Museum; Barbara Cadge from the Polar Museum; Jean Pegg* from Ramsey Rural Museum; Susan Miller from the University of Cambridge Museums; Lorena Bushell from the Whipple, and Barbara Gale from Whittlesey Museum. I have marked the winners in their categories with * and the highly commended with **.
5. Please note that the Cambridge Museums Forum is at Whittlesey Museum on 6 July at 2pm.
6. Round 12 of the Esmée Fairbairn Collections Fund is re-open for applications, deadline 7 September. See http://www.museumsassociation.org/collections/18022011-esmee-fairbairn-collections-fund.
7. The MiC sponsored ‘Memories in the Community’ project exhibition is now at the Cambridge Museum of Technology, moving to Ramsey Rural Museum on 4 August.

Dear colleague

Here is this week’s collection of news items:

1. Suffolk are looking for a Museum Development Officer, closing date 20 June. Details are at http://www.suffolkjobsdirect.org/libraries-culture-archaeology-adult-care-community-services-suffolk-museum-development-and-partnership-manager/40743.job.
2. I attach a press release concerning the Cambridgeshire Pals project, timed to coincide with commemoration of the terrible events on the Somme a century ago.
3. There is an excellent report on ‘What’s the Story’ online story telling at http://weareculture24.org.uk/projects/action-research/phase-4-whats-the-story/.
4. I am concerned to find out that several museums did not see my plea in MiC News 52 for them to fill in the benchmarking survey so here is the news item again: I attach the new SHARE Benchmarking form for 2015-2016 and would ask that every Accredited museum in the County completes this by 31 August please, as it is very important. The purpose of the survey is to gather evidence to help demonstrate and prove the social and economic importance of museums both locally and regionally to funders and stakeholders. It also provides museums with data to enable them to benchmark their performance. SHARE and I would be very grateful if you would take the time to complete this survey and if you prefer you can use http://www.smartsurvey.co.uk/s/SHAREBenchmarking1516/. Please do not hesitate to ask me if you have any questions about this.