The idea
Aldridge Transport Museum is a Registered Charity entirely volunteer-run. Currently it only opens 3 days a week. The project will allow us to engage a Specialist Contractor to undertake a Visitor Survey, better to understand their expectations of the Museum and how these are or are not currently being met, also informing any changes necessary to address these. Use of a such a Contractor will provide a survey with objectivity and rigor and accord with the standards of Accredited Museums, a status the Museum is applying for. Then it will enable us to establish a Museum Friends group to bring diverse backgrounds together, including retired professionals, local history enthusiasts, and people with valuable skills in areas like marketing, finance, or education. Friends’ groups often include younger members who bring fresh perspectives and digital skills, whilst their 'at-arms-length' relationship allows them to provide honest feedback about the Museum’s operations and visitor experience
What we'll deliver
- Reliable Visitor feedback
- Pointers to future change and development
- Broader and more diverse community involvement
- The opportunity to open more often, even daily
- A firmer financial footing
Why it's a great idea
The Museum relies entirely upon its volunteers and can’t open every day. Visitors are its main source of income. Day visit numbers are low but are boosted by Special Events each year which include vintage buses rides and special exhibitions. Feedback is generally good, but comments on TripAdvisor hint at areas of dissatisfaction, but these are often not specified. Commissioning a Visitor Survey will highlight positives and negatives, plus signal achievable improvements to our Visitors’ experience. Setting up a Friends’ Group will broaden and diversify the demographics of those who engage with the Museum on a regular basis. Specifically, they could help in generating income; public relations; recruiting members, and providing volunteer support for daily and special Museum activities, enabling it to work towards opening daily. Nearby attractions with successful Friends’ Groups include: - the Black Country Living Museum; Dudley Archives; Walsall Arboretum, and the New Art Gallery Walsall
Steps to get it done
- Commissioning the Visitor Survey
- Receiving the Visitor Survey findings
- Holding the first event to launch the Friends’ Group
- The first day of daily opening of the Museum
