Groups with fewer than 500 members
Winner (£250) Friends of the Pitt Rivers Museum, Oxford
Runners-up (£100) Friends of Harlow Museum
Friends of Welwyn Hatfield Museums
Groups of 500 or more members
Winner (£250) Friends of Cheltenham Art Gallery & Museum
Runners-up (£100) Friends of Dulwich Picture Gallery
Friends of National Museum Wales
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. Congratulations to every one of you - keep sending in the entries. And to those of you who have not yet plucked up the courage to enter - make a resolution to have a go in 2009.
Newsletters eligible for this award are those published by fully paid-up members of BAFM between August 2008 and May 2009.
There will be two categories, one for groups with fewer than 500 members and one for groups of 500 or more members.
The prizes for 2008 in each category will be: 1st prize of £250 and 2 runners-up prizes of £100 each.
Prizes & certificates will be presented at BAFM’s Annual Conference in October 2008.
In deciding whether a newsletter is eligible, the judges will wish to be satisfied that it actually is a newsletter and not just a vehicle for publishing learned articles or pieces of research.
In considering eligible newsletters, the judges will give marks for:
- interest and general readability
- appearance, layout and use of illustrations
- originality
- information for members, including details of how to join, and, of course, BAFM news
- contributions from ordinary members and input from several contributors
- news of the wider world of Heritage
Information required:
- name of Friends’ group
- newsletter title and frequency of publication
- contact’s name, position, postal and e-mail address and telephone number
- details of financial or other help (if any) given by the institution, its paid staff or any sponsors
This information should be sent, together with a single copy of the chosen issue of the newsletter, to:
BAFM Home News Editor,
The Garth, Commons Lane, Balderstone, Blackburn. Lancashire. BB2 7LL
