The Arts Society Falmouth

Falmouth Volunteer Wins Prestigious National Award

At the age of 80, John Day joined the Book Conservation Team of The Arts Society Falmouth  Heritage Volunteers at the Bartlett Research Centre and Library in the National Maritime Museum Cornwall, which houses a collection of some 19,000 maritime volumes, many rare and valuable.

John’s skill in technical design stood him in good stead as he worked on creating customised internal and external ‘bookshoes,’ supports for the safe storage of fragile and delicate books and ledgers.

His design so impressed the book conservation trainer for the National Association of The Arts Society that it is now included as a recommended technique in the national Book Conservation Training Programme undertaken by all volunteers.

John has also designed and built customised lidded document boxes and magazine racks.

His dedication and skill have now been recognised with the prestigious The Arts Society Marsh Award, open to members throughout the UK who have made an outstanding contribution to heritage conservation.

John was presented with his award at the June 2016 meeting of the society at the Princess Pavilion by Heritage Volunteer Representative Maggie Letch, who had received it on his behalf at the National AGM in London.

The Society Chairman Richard Turner with John Day and Heritage Volunteer Representative Maggie Letch, with members of the Bartlett Research Centre and Library book conservation volunteers.

The Marsh Award

The Marsh Christian Trust was founded in 1981 as a grant-making body by Brian Marsh. Over the past 30 years the Trust has developed a National Awards Scheme to provide recognition to and reward those who modestly work to improve peoples’ lives and the world we live in. Working in partnership with the National Body, these Awards help to highlight the importance of The Arts Society volunteers and to recognise their outstanding efforts.