It all begins with an idea…
My name is Tonia and I’ve been working in museums for the past 20 years, 15 of those at management level. I’ve focused on small museums where the room for growth and development is uninhibited, and the stories are unique to each community. I’m a passionate believer that engaging people with history at a local level, leads to a life-long love of it!
Take a brief gallop through my career below.
Employment
The Almonry
Almonry Museum, Evesham. My very first museum role! I worked here for 14 years, the last nine of them as manager. I learned a lot about staff management, Listed building management, collection care, Accreditation and wrote a successful £1.4million National Lottery Heritage Fund (formerly HLF) bid.
Tudor House Museum
My last Museum Manager role at this intriguing little site took everything I’d previously learned and mixed it all together. I managed staff, volunteers and a Listed building. During my time, I increased visitor numbers by 40% and successfully managed an NLHF funded project involving capital works and a museum-wide redevelopment of the interpretation.
The Coffin Works
For two years, I was their Volunteer and Operations Manager, during which I learned so much about the effective use of social media, volunteer management and growing diversity. I continued as a volunteer (writing their monthly newsletters) for another three years. As the CW saying goes, “you can clock out but you can never leave!”
Training
Equality, Diversity & Inclusion
Diversity and inclusion is vital to museums and it was a priviledge to be on the training provided by West Midlands Museum Development and Inclusive Boards.
Collections Care & Accreditation
Social Media and Marketing
Leaders Programme
Provided by the Association of Independent Museums, this year-long training gave a solid grounding in leadership, strategic planning and organisational resilience.
