David Livingstone Birthplace

David Livingstone Birthplace Explores the Local Community for Volunteers

September 2019

Volunteers V3

David Livingstone Birthplace Project, home to the history of Scotland’s famous explorer David Livingstone, has announced that it is exploring the local community for a series of new volunteer positions in the run up to its planned re-opening next Summer.

The project, which is currently undergoing a £6.1 million transformation at the heart of Blantyre, will see David Livingstone’s birthplace redeveloped to provide a vibrant new museum. The new attraction will place Scotland in a global context and celebrate the inspirational story of how a poor millworker became one of the most popular British heroes of the Victorian era and a hero of some Sub Saharan African countries today.

The project includes the renewal of the historic buildings, a newly interpreted exhibition which will showcase artefacts from the Trust’s collection of 3000 objects and an upgrade of visitor facilities such as the café and shop.

The museum team are now looking for a small army of dedicated volunteers to help with a variety of roles including a Cataloguing and Collections Volunteer, Acquisition Committee Member, Community Ambassador, Birthplace Project Learning Volunteer and some very important Gardening Volunteers to help maintain the extensive gardens around David Livingstone Birthplace.

Catherine Cartmell, who is leading the search for volunteers, commented “Volunteers are such an important part of our team and, whether they can donate just a few hours or many more, we’re incredibly grateful for their support, energy, enthusiasm and genuine commitment to this project. This is a great opportunity to give back to your local community, working on a very special and historic project, and we welcome people who have a wide variety of skills and backgrounds.”

To get involved as a volunteer, or to find out more, visit the Volunteers Section on our web site.

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We are very grateful to our key funders the National Lottery Heritage Fund, Historic Environment Scotland and the Scottish Government for their support in helping us deliver the Birthplace Project.

National Lottery Heritage Fund
Scottish Government
Historic Environment Scotland
Note: Please note that David Livingstone Birthplace (and the David Livingstone Trust) is no longer part of National Trust Scotland (NTS). NTS members will therefore no longer receive discounted/free entry to the Birthplace Museum.

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