Plea for volunteers as museum re-opens

Margaret McSeveney says the volunteers are 'a happy band'

Fife Folk Museum in Ceres is due to open on April 1 but at present can only open for five days a week instead of the usual seven.

Anyone with a few hours to spare is being asked to consider volunteering for a variety of roles, from greeting visitors to cataloguing artefacts.

And with a varied programme of exhibitions and events lined up between April and October, helping behind the scenes promises to be an even more fulfilling prospect this year.

One of the most significant changes at the museum this season is the scrapping of the entrance fee, which is being done on a trial basis for a year.

Another key development is the creation of a heritage arts hub, whereby an area of the museum is to be made available for community arts, crafts, workshop and meetings.

The opening exhibition on April 1 is called Things we Love, a series of professional photographs of volunteers who have individually chosen an item from the collection, been photographed with the item and written up a small research article about it.

In May, Fife Folk Museum will participate in the Festival of Museums with an event called Bumbleleerie, when members of the public will be invited to go along and play old fashioned games and chant some of the rhymes and ditties they did as children, with a view to recording the results.

Two other exhibitions being planned give a snapshot of lives lived a century apart.

One features a weaver’s cottage in the 1850s, which includes a family trail pertaining to the real people who actually lived there, while the other looks at domestic life in the 1950s, with exhibits that include a genuine Dior gown.

“None of this would be possible without our small army of volunteers,” said Margaret McSeveney, chairman of Fife Folk Museum Trust.

“No qualifications are needed, but if anyone has skills we can certainly make use of them. We’ll provide training and volunteers will be well supported.

“Our volunteers are invaluable to us and they enjoy the camaraderie and friendship that comes with their role.

“We’d be pleased to welcome people to one of our information sessions, where they can find out more over a coffee and a scone.

“Anyone interested is asked to call 01334 655502 or email [email protected].”

Meanwhile the museum continues its partnership with the Weigh House Tearoom, which is open all year round and which occupies part of the visitor centre created during an extensive refurbishment three years ago.