Training Kew Volunteer Explainers

Training Kew Volunteer Explainers

Brief for audience research

1. Julia Willison, Head of Learning and Participation
2. Helen Gill, Schools Learning Manager
3. Amanda Le Poer Trench, Volunteer Coordinator
4. Julia Shelley, Family Learning Coordinator

1. Context

The Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew is a global resource for plant and fungal knowledge. We have one of the largest and most diverse collections of plant and fungal specimens (living and preserved) in the world.The site is over three hundred acres and contains glasshouses, historic buildings and world class collections.It is a major London visitor attraction, receiving over one million visitors and over 70,000 school age children each year. Kew is committed to creating an engaging visitor experience and, this year, we recruited and trained a cohort of 23 volunteer Garden Explainers. Following very positive feedback from visitors, Kew is now looking to increase the numbers of volunteer explainers to:

• Meet and greet schools andother groups,
• CommunicateKew related stories toUnlock why plants and fungimatter, anddeliver short activities using objects relating to our collections –(e.g. plants and fungi, library, arts and archives).

To support this initiative, Kew is looking to contract a trainer/s to provide training in public engagement skills.

2. Target Audiences

The Volunteer Explainers will engage with:

1. School groups from nursery to Key Stage 5. The groups include teachers, parents and carersand children aged 4-18 years of age.
2. General visitors - both adults and children.

Both groups will include children and adults with additional needs.

3. Intended outcomes of engagement

The Volunteer Explainers will:

• Spark children’s and adults’curiosity and interest in the world of plants and fungi.

• Connect children and adults with plants and the environment and help develop a deeper understanding of the importance of plants in their lives.
• Increase and develop children’s and adults’knowledge of Kew’s science and horticulture.
• Help orientate children and adults around Kew.

4. Brief

Kew is looking to appoint a trainer/s to provide training in public engagement skills for approximately 50 volunteers and 10 members of Kew staff.

Training will focus on:

• communication skills
• meeting and greeting visitors
• voice projection
• queue busking
• engaging different aged groups
• catching and holding the attention of visitors
• Taking complex science messages and communicating them in succinct and engaging ways.
• Using technology to communicate e.g. iPads.
• Gathering and evaluating feedback from visitors to improve practice.

Following training, the volunteer explainers will be skilled, confident and able to:

• Deliver simple engagement activities to school groups ranging from key stage 1-5.
• Engage general visitors, especially family groups in related stories about Kew and its science and horticulture.
• Meet, greet and help people find their way around the site.
• Use objects from Kew collections and other tools with school and family visitors.

The following will be made available to the trainer:

• Space within Kew to hold training.

• Time by Kew staff to support the training and a lead point of contact.
• Information on Kew specific material needed for training.

5. Timescales

This table shows indicative timescales. However, please note that training must take place in February 2017. At the start of the project we will agree a more detailed timetable.

6. Application

Please provide:

• A statement outlining how you meet the selection criteria below.
• A CV of your experience with two relevant examples of public engagement training.
• An indicative budget.
• An outline of how you propose to deliver the training.
• A description of how you would manageyour working relationship with staff at Kew.
• Contact details for two referees.

Please submit your application to y12.00 noon 14.11.16

7. Selection Criteria

The selection criteria will be scored out of 100%

END