A Day in the life of a Museum Volunteer – Kayte

We are extremely lucky here at the museum to have a great team of volunteers. Each one has their own interests and tends to work on separate projects behind the scenes. We decided it was time for them to step out into the limelight so everyone can see what they have been up to. Our first volunteer in the spotlight is Kayte; these are her words below:

 

“Have you ever wondered what life behind the scenes in a museum is like? Well, let me share my experiences of working alongside the team at The Royal Hampshire Regiment Museum over the last seven months.

As a mature student at the University of Winchester, I joined the volunteer team for a 40 hour placement in support of my Master’s degree course. During that time, I learned how to scan images and write narratives for our digital photography archiving project. Not having a military background, this was a steep learning curve, but with the right level of encouragement, I quickly progressed.

As a consequence of the warm welcome I received, and the growth of my own interest in military history, I have increased my volunteer hours to a make a regular commitment of one day a week. No two days are ever the same and there’s always something new to learn or apply my skills to.

Over the last three months I’ve helped to identify and locate artefacts for temporary exhibitions, written new children’s trails, and learned to research enquiries about our veterans using our extensive archives, in addition to welcoming our visitors and general administrative tasks.

In March I’ve worked with Susannah, the deputy curator, to create the layout for our forthcoming exhibition about our National Servicemen in Malaya in the 1950’s, that has just opened over the Easter weekend. I’ve also been editing an oral history interview to create a sound track to accompany the exhibition.

There’s always a wide variety of tasks that require the support of volunteers. So, if you have a few hours to spare on a regular basis, and are looking for a challenge, why not come and join us? Contact Deputy Curator, Susannah Jarvis on 01962 863658 or email her at susannah.jarvis@royalhampshireregiment.org.”

Thank you Kayte for all your hard work for the museum. Next month we will have another volunteer’s words.