Congratulations to our wonderful volunteers Zillah and Debs who were recognised with Silver at the Cornwall Tourism Awards. Their award was for the ‘Unsung Hero Award’ recognising their valuable work and support at Bodmin Keep.
They wholeheartedly deserve to win this Award as an Unsung Hero as they always goes above and beyond expectations to contribute to all we do at Bodmin Keep.
Zillah Zaufal
Zillah supported Jo Keenan – Education Manager, with the development of the museum’s education programme during a period of huge transition two years ago. Zillah delivers school sessions and has an engaging and warm delivery style with audiences of all ages.
She is an expert crocheter and often creates characters to support the museum’s informal and formal learning programmes. These have included Doctor Carrot and Potato Pete who were Second World War characters created to promote vegetable eating. She has even created a crochet version of Mary of Exeter, who was an intelligence pigeon during the Second World War and was awarded the PDSA Dickin Medal in 1945. Zillah’s crochet creations help make learning about complex themes of conflict both fun and meaningful to visitors. It also makes these stories more accessible and sensory.
Over the three years that Zillah has volunteered, she has promoted the museum in numerous ways including decorating a bicycle to display ahead of the Tour of Britain. The bike included photos of soldiers from the First and Second World War, telegrams and logos. It was commented on positively on the museum’s Facebook page on 1 September when Michelle Gibbons said, ‘Saw these yesterday and thought how amazing they look. Well done.’ Zillah has also coordinated the annual themed decoration of the museum’s Christmas tree at St Petroc’s Festival, which promotes the aims and objectives of Bodmin Keep. She has inspired other colleagues to get involved and use their craft skills to complete a poignant entry.
Zillah also volunteers in a Visitor Service capacity at the museum on a weekly basis and returned to this as soon as Bodmin Keep reopened after lockdown. She is an incredibly friendly and positive member of the museum team who is always willing to get involved and enhance the visitor experience.
For Where’s Wally? events during school holidays, which were co-ordinated by Kids in Museums, she dressed in character to make visitors smile on arrival. In 2018 she supported the museum’s interactive theatre experience called ‘The Trench’ which coincided with the centenary of the end of the First World War. This involved a huge time commitment and was one of the most powerful forms of advocacy that the museum has ever undertaken. Zillah explained her involvement by saying, ‘I had just moved to Bodmin and volunteering seemed a good way to become involved in the community and have a purpose as I was retired’. Recently Zillah assumed the additional role of Volunteer Coordinator at Bodmin Keep. This has involved her coordinating the induction of new volunteers and organising rotas amongst other tasks. The way that she so willingly gives up her time to support the museum is massively appreciated and her commitment deserves official recognition.
Debs Vosper
Debs is a fantastic member of the team at Bodmin Keep – her expertise in research has brought family history to life for many people looking for information about a long lost relative who served in the DCLI.
Deborah has been a dedicated Research Volunteer and Duty Manager for a number of years, generating detailed responses to hundreds of enquiries a year. She has developed systems and processes to streamline enquiries and an unwavering commitment to the fulfilment of research enquiries during the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond, overcoming adversity of the challenge created by lockdown.
Throughout the pandemic she continued to manage the museums research enquiries working tirelessly from home, providing families with the information they required about their relatives. She did this in her own time and using her own resources.
Through this, not only have more people learnt about their own family history, but the museum has also gained a lot of additional knowledge about its regimental history.
We know she’s pretty amazing at what she does but she regularly receives wonderful feedback from those she has helped, so grateful to have some information about their family member.
Deb also is a regular as Duty Manager at Bodmin Keep, responsible for managing the site when Mary or Verity are away, and Debs is always enthusiastic, friendly knowledgeable and always a willing helper – nothing ever seems to be too much trouble.
She’s a keen dog walker, local historian and jam maker, we regularly come into the Keep and leave with a jar of Jam made by Debs from a glut of berries at the end of summer and with Debs her four legged companion Djano is never far away.
We are thrilled you have been recognised in this category… and we would like to thank you both, for all that you do at Bodmin Keep!
