Our team are not just paid members of staff. They also include volunteers like Stacie who help out at the D.H. Lawrence Birthplace Museum.
I interviewed Stacie and asked her a few questions about her time at the museum…
When did you start volunteering for the D.H. Lawrence Birthplace Museum?
I came on a tour of the museum with my Grandma in August 2015, as I was studying Literature at university and I’ve been here ever since!
What projects have you been involved in so far?
One of my favourite things about being a volunteer is the variety of my job. I can be doing anything from researching D.H. Lawrence to making Christmas crafts. There’s always something interesting to do. However, my favourite part has to be working with our collection. This can involve anything from keeping a record of the items that we have, to deep cleaning the entire museum with the rest of the team, which is much more exciting than it sounds!
How does volunteering fit in with your life?
I am studying Curating at university and volunteering is perfect as it is really flexible and gives me lots of time to focus on my studies. It also means that I get to be involved in lots of fun activities, such as book launches and our recent Fairy Grotto (I’m the one in the pic with the bunny ears!)!
Have you gained anything from volunteering with the museum?
Yes definitely! Not only have I learned a lot about D.H. Lawrence and social history, I have also had great insight into what goes on behind the scenes, how to manage collections, give a tour and put together an exhibition! However, what makes volunteering so important to me is the knowledge and support of the team here. I was quite shy when I first started volunteering, but due to the help and encouragement of the staff, I have become much more confident. This has allowed me to learn much more than I would have otherwise. The only downside I would say, is that what was initially an interest in Lawrence, has become a bit of an obsession! Oops! But it is a pleasure to be able to help out and be part of such a great team!
Stacie Dexter and Christina Webb
