Volunteering for Veterans

Volunteering for Veterans is a wellbeing and conservation project for Veterans of the Armed Forces working on Birmingham Museum Trust’s (BMT) motorbike collection.

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This case study is part of a series from the LGA Culture Commission

By opening an area of the trust that has limited access for the public (Museum Collection Centre) BMT were able to create a safe zone for veterans to talk openly with each other whilst learning new skills. Across the various stages of evaluation, the volunteers requested to work on a larger object and with its continuation we were able to honour that request; they are now working on a Spitfire engine ready for display at Thinktank. 

The challenge

The key objective of this project was to work with Armed Forces Veterans who feel isolated from society and make available a safe space to visit at their own pace with like-minded individuals. By teaching the volunteers conservation skills we hoped that this practical element might create the right conditions for them to open-up to each other and feel heard. The pilot project started towards the end of the Covid-19 Government restrictions, and with the projects main goal being to combat social isolation, it was imperative that we brought veterans on site as soon and as safely as possible.  

As this is a significantly new demographic for BMT, strategic relationships within the Armed Forces community needed to be made and to recruit from. Recruitment from this target audience presented its own challenges and highlighted the need for the project to remain adaptable.  

Whilst this is a wellbeing project, lengthy considerations needed to be put in place at BMT to best safeguard both our volunteers and staff, needing to quickly adapt to new issues with an increased level of mental health awareness, as well as new ways of working; most notably with the addition of Keya, one of our volunteers, PTSD assistance dog. 

Due to the complex needs of the volunteers, the project as co-production is crucial in helping maintain their mental health. During the pilot, the veterans were made fully aware that the project at that stage was temporary so that they could get the most out of their experience. BMT were hyper aware that a sudden end to a project such as this one could have drastic consequences if the end was not fully prepared for. And in its continuation communication is key in maintaining a reliable safe zone.  

The solution

It was important that this project was able to be delivered in person as soon as possible, with a digital offer waiting in the wings, we believed this would be the most effective way to best combat isolation by giving the veterans added structure back into their week. As travel anxiety and pain levels were often a barrier to the volunteer’s experience, the project was built to swiftly adapt to the needs of the group and sometimes that meant staying in the meeting room with a healthy supply of coffee and biscuits, this helped to manage their physical pain and to accommodate their anxieties. However, on somedays the project would need to be prepared to switch to a less involved Zoom meeting completely or as a hybrid. Volunteer numbers were kept small due to the pandemic but decidedly continued with smaller numbers as it was more beneficial to the group.  

Recruitment from such a specific but extremely marginalized audience was mostly driven through the Royal British Legion in order to back-lock BMT’s safeguarding. The project has since adapted to a rolling recruitment so that it can be used as a form of social prescribing.  

Robust risk assessments and training were added to best accommodate new challenges to BMT with the addition of supervision support for the project lead from partners the Birmingham Centre for Arts Therapies (BCAT) along with the continuation of arts in health and dramatherapy sessions for the wider group. As this project had co-production at its core, the evaluation process was key in holding BMT accountable and helped create a program that was of service instead of just providing a service. Consistent evaluation throughout the pilot enabled the volunteers to feel heard and for BMT to create an adaptable project that works.  

The impact

Our strategy for this project was to use our spaces in new ways and offer out an area of the collection to a new demographic. With swift recruitment from the RBL we were able to invite veterans on site to be trained in motorbike conservation and enrolled as conservation volunteers.  

A program was loosely designed with flexibility to adapt to the needs of the volunteers built in from the off. In initial conversations with new participants there was a strong sway towards art and photography across the group, so artist Nilupa Yasmin was brought in to deliver a two-part weaving and photography workshop, alongside regular photography workshops with photographer David Rowan and monthly mindful sessions with BCAT. 

The volunteers had full autonomy in choosing motorbikes from our collection to professionally photograph, fully document, and to do all the conservation work necessary to help maintain their condition, with one of those motorbikes going on display at Thinktank Birmingham Science Museum. This provided the group with a useful distraction and helped develop new and unusual skills, an increased sense of wellbeing and formed a tight knit group of friends. By creating space at the MCC in this way, these veterans felt comfortable to be able to talk and open-up to like-minded peers in a safe and welcoming environment. Whilst learning something completely new they gently emerged as conservationists, researchers, artists, and historians. 

The project has been incredibly successful in meeting its objectives and the veterans collectively volunteered 280 hours of their time during the 6-month pilot. Overall, wellbeing consistently increased, with general feelings of negativity and isolation reduced.  

A few of our magic moments are:  

“Coming here is just easy – it’s a release” Dave 

“My partner told me that I have a spark when I come home on a Wednesday.” Steve 

Two white male volunteers sit either side of a vintage motorbike from Birmingham Museum Trust’s collection, they are both in their late 50’s.

How is the new approach being sustained?

With the help of various staff members across BMT through working circles, the volunteers now have experience in conservation, awareness of the challenges involved when moving objects, designing and writing exhibition interpretation panels, building an exhibition and starring in their own film. The permanent exhibition that the veterans built serves as a legacy to the project and has changed the way we view and interact with Birmingham city’s most precious collection. By having a goal, the group had access to a multi-faceted museum experience. This is something in the project’s continuation that BMT are keen to maintain, and at the request of the volunteers they will now be working on a Spitfire engine ready for display at Thinktank. With new additions to the volunteer team, it brings new skills and expertise to further enrich the group. This new object has improved the ability for research to be carried out from home and has improved conversation amongst the group outside of the museum, with one of our volunteers stating that he is ‘easily spending hours each day researching’ at home.  

With BCAT taking the lead on the wellbeing needs of the volunteers and serving as a knowledge base for staff members to learn from via regular supervision support for the project lead, the relationship was able to evolve to offer a more in depth dramatherapy experience with a practitioner the group trusted, as opposed to the arts in health sessions experienced during the pilot. It was discussed that more in depth group sessions would be trialed due to the complex needs of the group, and the volunteers remain in control of these newer sessions and can hit pause any time they need.  

Crucial relationships with the Armed Forces Community are also being explored and expanded with existing partnerships being developed. 

Lessons learned

The most significant addition to the program was Dave’s assistance dog Keya. Dave, one of our volunteers, is particularly isolated at home and lives by himself and the introduction of Keya has been an incredible addition to Dave’s life. The concept of an assistance dog at the MCC really challenged BMT at a systemic level. The MCC is an incredibly unusual building with very specific needs and houses over 80 per cent of the collection not on display, but Keya was fully embraced by the team and has become a valued member, she has adopted the unofficial title of our Wellbeing Mascot. She is a pup in training and supports Dave with his PTSD, BMT could not be prouder to aide her with her journey. 

Alongside this unusual opportunity for BMT to be more inclusive, the way we are using our spaces is changing. Learning to truly put our volunteers needs first in order to protect their mental health has seen a more compassionate use of our spaces across other projects with more of a willingness to say yes to community requests and provide free access to some of our sites where payment is a barrier.  

This project will serve as a blueprint for other compassionate projects and can be used as a format that can be adapted to work for other areas of the community to ensure BMT is reaching as many people as possible and inviting them to work with us in new and unusual ways. This project is a step in the direction towards a more socially useful museum service.  

View the film produced during the pilot

View the Volunteering for Veterans press release

Contact

Andrea Bonnell, email: [email protected]