Museum news

We were honoured to welcome Cornwall’s Lord Lieutenant, Lady Mary Holborow, and the Chair of Cornwall Council, Councillor Pat Harvey to the Museum on 22 July, when Lady Mary presented Museum Chairman, Roger Radcliffe, with a beautiful piece of inscribed crystal and a certificate signed by HM The Queen to mark the Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service.

Surrounded by some 70 Museum volunteers, Lady Mary read out the Museum’s citation and spoke of her pleasure that the Museum had gained the award.  Four children from St Agnes Primary School were involved in the presentation – the boys entrusted with holding the crystal and the certificate by Lady Mary, while the girls presented her with a basket of Cornish flowers.

Roger Radcliffe paid tribute to all the volunteers who worked so hard to make our Museum such a success and said that many were serial volunteers who helped with many village groups. Liz Thompson thanked Lady Mary for suggesting, some two years ago, that the Museum might be nominated, as it had never occurred to us that a museum might be suitable.

Everyone moved outside for group photos and a chance to admire the unique bunting, in purple and white and featuring the QAFVS logo, specially made by Clare Murton and Ann Oxley, our joint Curators.

Afterwards, delicious food and drink were served upstairs, the organisation overseen by Clare Murton, and the food contributed by many helpers.

It was a memorable morning and our grateful thanks are due to Mandy Kimmins, our nominator, St Agnes Primary School and the Local Improvements Committee for their letters of support, and everyone who has helped in any way.

On 12 July Roger Radcliffe, Chairman, Clive Benney, Vice Chairman, Ann Oxley, Curator, and Colin Harris, Past Chairman, representing St Agnes Museum volunteers, attended the Queen’s Garden Party at Buckingham Palace, an acknowledgement of the award of the QAFVS.

Roger Radcliffe said: “It was an amazing day and a first for all of us.  We were ushered through the arch at the front of the Palace into the heart of the building to emerge on the western terrace.  We were met with 40 acres of garden with a lake at its centre.  In front of us were rows of green and white tea tents and of course there were cucumber and mint sandwiches, minus the crusts.  Many people were dressed in their national costume, with colourful African and Arabian outfits.  At 4 pm The Yeomen of the Guard cleared a way through the crowds in anticipation of the Queen who made her entrance as the band played the National Anthem.  It was a fabulous day, made possible because of 60 volunteers who keep the Museum going.”

We were delighted to welcome the Reception Class of St Agnes Primary School to the Museum on 13 July.

The 28 youngsters drew the figurehead and the turtle, explored the Museum, with a special look at the Natural History display, and listened attentively to our story “Sam and the Leatherback Turtle”.

It was great to see them!

Queen’s Award acknowledged by BBC Radio Cornwall

On Wednesday 15 June 2011 Radio Cornwall‘s Martin Bailie told listeners about the Museum’s recent recognition by Her Majesty with the Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service. Publicity Officer Liz Thompson explained what is so special about the Museum and the 60+ volunteers and described some of the artefacts we look after in order to preserve the local heritage.

St Agnes Museum Trust is absolutely delighted and tremendously honoured to have been awarded the Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service 2011 and is very grateful to all our volunteers whose hard work in so many different ways has made this award possible.

We have more than 60 volunteers helping to run the Museum, doing everything from stewarding seven days a week during a long season, to maintaining our working longcase clocks, providing hanging baskets, helping at coffee mornings (including baking cakes and growing plants), maintaining a scrapbook of newspaper cuttings about St Agnes Parish, and painting and decorating.

This winter many of our regular volunteers braved the freezing weather to help with the major refurbishment of the Museum, emptying and refilling cabinets, removing old carpets, painting internally and externally, and cleaning the listed building from top to toe after the building works had been completed.

But as our citation makes clear, the Museum does much more than recruit and care for volunteers who help at the Museum:

“Volunteers take exhibits out to schools, allowing schools that cannot visit to benefit from its work. The Museum’s internet site and postal response means that it serves not only the wider community but also a worldwide Cornish Diaspora.

This is an outstanding local charity providing not only a local community focus for the village, but also reaching a wider audience, giving an excellent volunteering experience for a large number of people as well as aiding a diverse group of beneficiaries.”

Some of the letters of support for the Museum’s nomination came from students at St Agnes School. Here is a flavour of what they said:

The Museum people helped me find a photo of my house when it was bombed in the war

The ladies at the Museum have photocopied my family tree for me. They are really kind and helpful.

There’s a turtle at the Museum and do you know how it died? It swallowed a plastic bag because he thought it was a jellyfish.

Museum spokesman, Liz Thompson, said that “being nominated had been a very helpful experience, focusing on our volunteers and beneficiaries rather than on the care of the collection or our listed building.” We now look forward to the Award Presentation, while representatives of our group will attend a Royal Garden Party.

• Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service on Gov.uk