Derry's Guildhall and Tower Museum receive ‘Volunteer Friendly Award'

The Guildhall and Tower Museum have recently received the ‘Volunteer Friendly Award’, a user-friendly quality standard that supports, recognises and rewards organisations who are good at involving volunteers. 

Delighted to have secured the Award, Alison Morris, Operations Manager, Museum and Visitor Services with Derry City and Strabane District Council explained, “We are delighted to have received this recognition from the North West Volunteer Centre for our commitment and dedication to making the Guildhall and Tower Museum friendly and functional places for volunteers. 

“For the past few years, we have offered an Age Friendly Visitor Services Ambassador role which has been very successful, and we are extremely grateful for the contribution the volunteers make to our facility. 

“Visitor Service Volunteers provide a friendly welcome to visitors, helping support the team with basic tourist information.  They also help meet and greet at mayoral events or VIP functions,” she explained.

“We have regular volunteers in the Tower Museum, who carry out significant research on our collections and archives, often unveiling little nuggets that help promote our history and heritage, particularly in our planned interpretation for the new DNA Museum. We also have volunteers working towards a reinvigorated cemetery record database which will soon include the records of rural cemeteries as well as the city cemetery. This research helps fill a vital gap in our genealogical records.

“The processes we now have in place as a result of the support from the North West  Volunteer Centre will ensure the Guildhall and Tower Museum will be even more welcoming to volunteers and we look forward to increasing the number of volunteers to help to make our facilities the friendly spaces that they are, while also providing a space for local people to gain experience, make friends and find enrichment.”

Marirose Cunningham from the North West Volunteer Centre added, “The Guildhall and Tower Museum is the first volunteer involving organisation to receive the Volunteer Friendly Award and we are delighted to have worked with them to help secure this accolade.”