Successful Succession Planning with Saltash Heritage

Successful Succession Planning with Saltash Heritage

Succession planning is becoming increasingly important as volunteers are open to an ever widening range of opportunities, and in addition as retirement age rises, there are fewer volunteers available. We need to maintain a skilled body of capable people able to lead and manage when others move on.

Lizzy Sharpe-Asprey; Secretary of Saltash Heritage says the key to this lies in having open communication and an inclusive approach. The museum is welcoming, they take an active part in their community and support local events and host community group displays. A newsletter keeps volunteers and supporters well informed about new projects and past successes.

A monthly meeting gives everyone the opportunity to share what they have been working on and what they are planning to do. Training and development opportunities are offered to all; new starters are given an introductory induction and volunteers attend an annual update where they hear about new developments, refresh their knowledge and get together to have fun. Social trips to heritage sites are organised throughout the year and there’s an annual Thank You Bash for all.

Volunteer roles are clearly delineated and people matched according to their particular skills. There’s a flexible approach allowing volunteers to progress through a range of roles to broaden their knowledge and maintain enthusiasm. A programme of shadowing not only helps team members gain new skills, but also helps to share the burden of sole responsibility. Onerous tasks such as organising the monthly stewarding rota are shared, an added benefit being that stewards get to know all the committee members well.

Lizzy says the key to success lies in team work; knowing what everyone else is working on so you can help out when needed, sharing when things have gone well, when lessons can be learned and having fun together. Volunteers have a valuable role in our museums and are an invaluable resource in their success.