50forWM50 nomination for museum volunteer
A volunteer for Dudley Museums Service, Himley Hall and Dudley Archives has been shortlisted for the 50forWM50 campaign.
2024 marks the 50th anniversary of the creation of the West Midlands county and the West Midlands Lieutenancy. To celebrate, the 50forWM50 campaign was launched to recognise and thank volunteers across the region who dedicate their time to helping others, and highlight the inspirational stories of these often unseen and unheralded local heroes.
Pam Preston has been volunteering at Dudley Archives since February 2018, supporting people wishing to explore their family history as well as supporting events at the Archives. She’s also been a volunteer at Himley Hall and the Brooke Robinson collection since May 2018, cataloguing, researching social history etc and welcoming people to the exhibition.
Pam also volunteers for three other organisations. In June 2018, Pam joined the National Trust volunteers at Wightwick Manor. Her experience here has helped the team at Brooke Robinson Exhibition. She is a leading light volunteer at a local Samaritans branch (since February 2008) where she has been the Branch Director and is pivotal in various past and current roles, including supporting the development of new volunteers to the organisation and quality development regionally and nationally.
She has also volunteered for Royal Voluntary Service since 2020. In previous years, Pam was a volunteer and chair for Radio Lollipop at Birmingham Children’s Hospital. She has also supported adults develop their literacy and numeracy skills and taught others to teach adult literary.
The Mayor of Dudley, Councillor Hilary Bills, said:
“I’m so pleased that Pam has been recognised for her voluntary work, not only here with us at the council, but in her other roles with The National Trust, The Samaritans and the Royal Voluntary Service.
“Colleagues praise her enthusiasm, organisational skills, warmth, sense of humour and empathy. She’s so modest and really doesn’t shout about what she does so it’s wonderful she’s had this recognition.”
Pam said:
“I am completely overwhelmed to have been nominated, however, even more so that I have been selected and invited to join the Big Thank You Celebration on 23 June being held at the Great Hall, University of Birmingham, hosted by HM The King’s representative in the West Midlands, Lord-Lieutenant Sir John Crabtree.”
Volunteers of all backgrounds and ages, helping their communities in any of the seven local authorities in the West Midlands – Birmingham, Coventry, Dudley, Sandwell, Solihull, Walsall or Wolverhampton could be nominated for recognition.
From these nominations, a dedicated judging panel select 50 volunteers from each of the seven local authorities, who have then been invited to join the ‘Big Thank You Bash’ in June. Those 350 volunteers will then be narrowed down to just 50, and from that final shortlist, just one volunteer will be chosen for their outstanding contribution.
The chosen volunteer will have a tram on the West Midlands Metro named in their honour, as a lasting tribute to their commitment to volunteering and positive impact on their local community.
More on the campaign:
https://www.unitedby2022.com/50forwm50/