In 2006: 348 volunteers carried out 33, 152.5 hours of
work.
Areas of work:• 218 Guides undertook 3482 tours to 16, 941
visitors
• Education-assisting with workshops, evaluation, creating resources
• Marketing/evaluation-carrying out visitor surveys, tracking.
• Advisors-representing communities needs and expectations
• Can contribute a range of skills and experience
• Bring a different perspective
• Add diversity
• Have the luxury of focusing on one task
• Can carry out projects that you have always wanted completed
• Can improve the quality of activities you offer by supporting paid staff
• Part of a multi literacy approach to interpretation
Things to think about when involving volunteers
• Proactive Planning
• Effective Recruitment
• Ensuring the volunteers are seen as part of a team
• Effective Supervision
• Systems in place to deal with issues that arise.
Saturday Art Club
• Started in September 2005
• Target Audience: Families + children 3 – 11yrs
• Activity Format: Drop in session
• Average 30-40 children and 15-20 adults per weekend.
How it works
• Recruitment procedure
• Training Programme-Introduction to the Saturday Art Club-Child protection-Ice breakers-Typical SAC activity
“Volunteering has given me a wider understanding of
contemporary art and how visitors react to it. I find the
children have a fantastic view of the exhibits”
Saturday Art Club Volunteer
“It was very satisfying to see families come back each
week to do something they enjoyed and could develop new skills. It helped their
confidence and mine!”
Saturday Art Club Volunteer
Issues/Problems and lessons
• High turnover of volunteers
• Time it takes to get a Disclosure certificate back
Volunteering impact
94
31.6
68.4
94.7
52.6
42.1
0 20 40 60 80 100
1
Responses
%
Other
Build confidence/dev'p skills
Made Friends
Rehabilitation
Developed new skills/experience
Used Skills/Experience
Helped with Course/helped with applyingfor a course
Gained experience for future career
“a vital source of live interpretation. Providing a verbal, personal and
accessible source of interpretation on a regular basis. Someone visitors
can have a two way conversation with about the art, someone who can answer their questions about the art
and give them a way into understanding the work. Bridging the
gap between Curators / Artists and the general public”.
Alicia Watson, Education & Access
Curator Goma
Volunteer Guides
• We currently have 11 volunteer guides and 6 trainee guides.
• In 2006 the goma guides carried out 120 tours to 346 visitors from 31 different countries.
“Friendly staff. Having two kids under 3 years is difficult but we were made to feel welcome here
especially by the guide”
“Wonderful guided tour. What a charming lady-so full of
information”
Visitor Comments
“I took two Korean visitors to see Graham Fagen Photos-ended up trying to explain sectarianism to
them after they asked me to explain the cause and effect of different aspects of Christianity AND the
history of the reformation, apart from the usual questions about the exhibits, the building etc!! Needless to say, I had to have a large glass of
wine afterwards!”Gallery Guide, GOMA
Issues/Problems/Lessons
• Turnover of Volunteers
• Need a Strong guide organiser
• Turnover of exhibitions
• Signed tours in partnership with Deaf Connections
• Establishing a learning programme at Kelvingrove
Catherine CartmellVolunteer & Placement Co-ordinator
Glasgow MuseumsGlasgow Museums Resource Centre
200 Woodhead RdNitshill
GlasgowG53 7NN
Tel: 0141 276 9381Fax: 0141 276 9305