British Association of Friends of Museums - The BAFM Newsletter Award Winners

THE BAFM NEWSLETTER AWARD WINNERS 2010

Comments from one of the Judges

Each year I look forward to reading the vast variety of newsletters from the Friends who have entered the competition. This year I am delighted that the winner of the section for fewer than 500 turns out to be the Harlow Friends. Some years ago they were among the winners and their editor told me that they would use the prize money to get a new computer, in order to enhance their publications, including the newsletter. The improvement has been obvious and the effort put into its production showed; I am pleased to see that all their efforts have paid off. I hope that this will act as a stimulus for others to keep on trying. Your publication need not be a super, glossy magazine, indeed some are just a folded sheet of A4 paper. However, they do give information relevant to the Friends and are not edited by the curators or museum staff, nor are they the work of just one person, usually the editor! Some writers display a refreshing wit and a journalistic quality exceeding that shown in the daily press. There are sketches, photographs and articles, most of which reflect the unpaid work of Friends and volunteers; I rate this as very important in these days of government cut-backs. Please do not think that entering is not worth the effort. I assure you, it is and, you never know, you may get an award that will help your Friends and the museum, gallery or heritage site that you all support.

Groups with fewer than 500 members
Winner:
Friends of Harlow Museum
Runners-up:
Friends of Ferens Art Gallery
Friends of Pitt Rivers Museum

Groups of 500 or more members
Winner:
Friends of Bristol Museums, Galleries and Archives
Runners-up:
Friends of Laing Art Gallery
Friends of Dulwich Picture Gallery

THE BAFM NEWSLETTER AWARD WINNERS 2009

Comments from the Chairman of the Judges

It is always good to have new entries in any competition and, this year, the entries for our annual newsletter competition did include some who have not ventured forward before; some were new to BAFM, others not, but perhaps they felt that their Newsletters had developed into something that they were proud of, which made them bolder. Either way, it is good to have them and we, the judges, would welcome even more entries. Of course, it would make more work for us, but it is a pleasant and informative task, so don’t put it off! There is no shame in not winning, but every single entry is given a full appraisal and, if at first you don’t succeed, there is always another time. Our criteria remain much the same: we look for a publication which reflects well on the group and the museum it purports to support: is written by and for more than a small ‘in crowd’: is informative both to members and prospective members and acknowledges that we, BAFM, exist. If other possible criteria or helpful suggestions come to you when you are reading this, please jot them down and send them to the Editor who will pass them on, anonymously if you prefer. We welcome ‘feedback’, but in any case look forward to next year bringing a bumper crop of entries and we hope that this year’s winners and runners-up enjoy their success. Congratulations to them and to all the entrants. The quality of your newsletters is outstanding.

Groups with fewer than 500 members
Winner:
Friends of Luton Museum
Runners-up:
Friends of Harlow Museum
Friends of Welwyn Hatfield Museums

Groups of 500 or more members
Winner:
Friends of The Whitworth Art Gallery
Runners-up:
Friends of Dulwich Picture Gallery
Friends of York Art Gallery

THE BAFM NEWSLETTER AWARD WINNERS 2008

Comments from the Chairman of the Judges

To judge any competition is not an easy task and judging the BAFM Newsletter Competition is no exception; we do our best, but doubts are bound to creep in from time to time. No-one is perfect! The criteria are set after discussion with our editor and other officers, but they are not set in stone and there is always an element of 'gut instinct' brought into play when the actual entries arrive. In spite of this, adherence to the criteria is expected (otherwise why have them?) and we are constantly amazed by the number of editors who ignore at least some of them, particularly the one about mentioning BAFM at least somewhere in the newsletter. It's tempting to wonder whether people actually even read the criteria, printed in the Journal and on the website. First impressions are important so it's prudent for would-be entrants to look objectively at their front page and consider how it would come across to a stranger, even a sympathetic one. But all these things are overshadowed by the wonderful impression of lively activity and exuberance conveyed in all the entries.

Groups with fewer than 500 members
Winner:
Friends of the Pitt Rivers Museum, Oxford
Runners-up:
Friends of Harlow Museum
Friends of Welwyn Hatfield Museums

Groups of 500 or more members
Winner:
Friends of Cheltenham Art Gallery & Museum
Runners-up:
Friends of Dulwich Picture Gallery
Friends of National Museum Wales