Trustee and curator Emily North shares her experience of being a trustee at Malton Museum, reflecting on the things she has learnt and how this role has helped her.

What do you do at the museum?

I’m one of Malton Museum’s Trustees.  The board of Trustees exists to scrutinise, advise, and decide on how Malton Museum operates as a charity.  I attend five Trustee meetings a year, advise on policies, and contribute to project groups.

What attracted you to volunteering?

Malton Museum has an amazing collection and I’m impressed by how much a dedicated team of volunteers can achieve. In my day job I’m part of the curatorial team at the Yorkshire Museum in York.  When I saw that Malton Museum needed a new Trustee with collections management experience I was really excited to apply.  The position is a wonderful opportunity to support this community museum, learn from experienced Trustees, and gain strategy and governance skills for my own career development.

Do you have a favourite memory about volunteering?

Everyone at Malton Museum has been so welcoming. The highlight so far has been helping out at last year’s Roman Festival. This was a change of pace from my normal Trustee responsibilities. It was so inspiring to see the volunteers in action and experience the fantastic community response. Even packing away marquees in the pouring rain was fun because of the enthusiastic and dedicated team!

Do you have a favourite object in the collection?

I’m obsessed with the Roman ‘Smith Pots’!  I’ve seen a lot of Roman pottery in my career and I’m not usually excited about it, but these are unlike anything I’ve come across before.  I’d love to learn more about them! Why are so many of these unusual pots found in the area around Malton? What can they tell us about the Roman people who lived here?

How has your role helped you develop new skills?

I’ve learnt so much from working with the amazing Trustees and volunteers at Malton Museum. I now know more about Malton’s history and archaeology, and what’s important to the communities living here today.  I’ve also gained governance and strategy experience, learning how the charity operates, the challenges it faces, and the exciting opportunities in its future. The Trustee role helped me secure a secondment to the role of Curator of Archaeology at the Yorkshire Museum.

Malton Museum is always looking for new volunteers. To find out more about volunteering opportunities, visit our Volunteering page.