Family guides

Took place: March to June 2005

Mohammed: ‘I enjoyed learning about the history and seeing the Museum visitors having fun on our tours.’

AJ: ‘I got loads more confidence after doing the tours to all the visitors.’

Young adults aged 16 – 25 from Springboard Hackney and TNG Workzone in Tower Hamlets. Springboard Hackney is part of CSV, a large voluntary organisation that tackles social exclusion through volunteering, training and community action. TNG Workzone assists unemployed people back into work. The group created and delivered interactive tour for family visitors.

The group received presentation skills and tour guide training as well as working on research, writing and evaluation to produce three exciting tours which included the chance for visitors to dress up, smell rotten fish and be sent to prison! Over 600 visitors experienced the tours over the following year.

"Museum scheme turns youngsters into tour guides in 10 weeks" story on the Guardian website:

http://society.guardian.co.uk/offdiary/story/0,,1516448,00.html (External link)