Volunteers are buffing up at Snibston

Local residents are bringing a new shine to a unique exhibit which is part of the permanent displays at the County Council’s award-winning regional museum of science and technology.

Working with specialist staff at Snibston, volunteers have been learning how to clean and conserve the 121 year old Shepshed Fire Engine.

As part of their initial training the group worked first on the very rare ‘Merry Weather’ fire engine because it was larger and easier to work with. They have been trained how to handle large exhibits, on health and safety and the use of appropriate materials and cleaning methods for these invaluable museum exhibits.

Working with the Council’s Next Step Project based at the Springboard Centre in Coalville, this special volunteering opportunity has been organised by the Volunteering, Internships & Placements (VIP) project which is hosted at Snibston. Funded by Leicestershire Together, VIP provides cultural and environmental volunteering opportunities across North West Leicestershire. Since August the project has already had some remarkable achievements, including the creation of 35 regular volunteering roles, encouraging 63 young people to become volunteers for the first time, and racking up over 800 hours of volunteering activity across North West Leicestershire.

This restoration project represents a unique opportunity for member of the community with specific needs to get involved with caring for their heritage, learning more about the past and to develop new skills and experience that will help them to become more independent.

As one of the volunteers said “I am a volunteer at Snibston and I work on the very old fire engines. When we’ve finished cleaning the brass you can see your face in it. I’ve learnt all about the history and it’s interesting because my granddad used to be in the pit so I feel like I know more about his life now.”

And visitors to Snibston have also welcomed the opportunity to see more of the work that usually goes on behind the scenes.

One visitor from Birmingham said “It’s been great to chat with the volunteers about the fire engine today. I know more about it than I would have done now. Their enthusiasm has made us smile”. Another visitor from Wiltshire commented that “It’s really good to see volunteers actually working on and interacting with the exhibits. It brings them to life and has made my visit more fun.”

During 2010, when Snibston celebrates its 18th birthday, other volunteers will be able to help restore and care for more of the County’s unique industrial and aviation heritage. Examples include the earliest surviving, locally-made Auster light aircraft, a Butcher’s cart from 1900, a 1920s Baker’s Van and ‘Jingling Geordie’ the 1915 Marshall steam traction engine.

David Sprason, County Council Member for Adult Social Care and Health said: “The feedback from the volunteers involved in this project has been fantastic. They are proud that they are doing a good job for the community, and volunteering with VIP has given them a real sense of achievement and a unique opportunity to meet new people whilst developing a range of practical and interpersonal skills.”

Ernie White, County Council Cabinet Member for Museums, said: “Volunteering is integral to what we do at the Council and Snibston in particular, which has fantastic track record of providing opportunities to people of all ages, amounting to over 400hrs a year. There is so much that we can offer with regard to transferable skills development, training and experience at Snibston with our regionally and nationally important historic collections. The VIP project is enabling us and other organisations, such as the National Forest, to take this to a new and economically valuable level.”

For further information, please contact: Sarah Oakden-Nancarrow on 01530 278 444, or visit www.snibston.com.