Membership
Volunteer Work and Membership
As a member you will have:
(a)Free access to the Museum during all normal opening times.
(b)A copy of our newsletter, "Condensation", every quarter.
(c)The opportunity to make a contribution, no matter how large or small, to the upkeep and development of the museum, for all present and future visitors. The museum has no paid staff and relies completely on volunteer input.
The Trust aims to encourage people to learn about the restoration, running and care of the engines and other exhibits. Besides the machinery, work on the buildings is also essential. The original engine house and keeper's accommodation are still in need of considerable restoration, as are the attached single-storey boiler house and forge. Some administrative skills are needed to apply for and obtain grants, for the listed buildings. The others need regular maintenance, such as roofs, tiles, windows, painting, and so on. Work around the grounds is also essential, keeping weeds down, trimming grass, pruning shrubs, maintaining fences; chopping up the wood.
For those who don't fancy being engineers, there are plenty of other possibilities. Helping with ticket sales and book sales at the front desk; serving tea and biscuits to visitors; and less glamorous jobs such as cleaning floors, windows and shelves. All members are encouraged in the distribution of promotional leaflets out and about; it is a "numbers game" and the more leaflets out in public domains, the better.
The Trust particularly wants to encourage membership from people who may one day be considered for taking roles on the committee. There is an unprecedented growth in legislation, paperwork, insurance, audits, rules and regs, etc which independent museums are being forced to take on. The future of this particular museum rests not only with volunteers willing to work on the machines, but also people who are efficient planners, thinkers, organisers and motivators.
The museum's main income comes from visitors' entrance fees, their purchases, and membership subscriptions. There is NO funding from local government or councils; and we have no paid staff. We are an independent museum and therefore have to charge an entrance fee. The more people who know of our existence, the better.
Membership Costs: (revised as from November 2004):
Individual: £9 Adult; OAP £6; Family: £11 per annum.
Life Membership: £200.
You can join by initially contacting us at steamteam (at) wzlet.org. We'll then pass you details of where to send your application.
