// Museum Volunteers
Museum volunteers
Christchurch Mayor Bob Parker recently awarded the Air Force Museum of New Zealand volunteers with a Volunteering Canterbury Recognition Award. Mr Parker made special mention of all volunteer work and how volunteers “enable the function of the community”. He stated that “all volunteers believe in their heart of hearts they have something to offer, without thought of self reward or acknowledgment. It is therefore timely and appropriate that the Air Force Museum of New Zealand volunteers are recognised within the wider community and by all full-time Museum staff.” Volunteers are an integral aspect of the visitor experience and the museum’s restoration and archival teams. All current and past volunteers who have assisted the Museum should feel justly proud that the wider community has acknowledged their efforts. Congratulations to you all.”
The citation below acknowledges the important role that all volunteers play in the day to day running of the museum:
The volunteers at the Air Force Museum of New Zealand enable the museum to preserve and present the history of New Zealand military aviation for commemoration, inspiration, learning and enjoyment. Collectively they give over 26,000 hours of their time each year and some have been volunteering continuously for more than 20 years. The volunteers are involved in most aspects of the museum’s operation: they are the ‘face’ of the museum, enriching and enlivening visitors’ experiences. They restore aircraft to their former glory and take on all sorts of ‘behind the scenes’ tasks, essential to caring for the museum collection.