Fordingbridge Museum is facing a serious shortage of volunteer stewards who play a vital role in keeping the museum open. It urgently needs to recruit people who are willing to give up a small amount of time to man the front desk and welcome visitors. Chloe Jensen, who has been stewarding and supporting the museum for many years said, “When I first moved to Fordingbridge I did not know anyone and was looking for something to do which was interesting and where I could meet people. By stewarding I met a large number of local people but also talked to visitors from all over Britain and the rest of the world. Some of the most interesting encounters were with people who were tracing ancestors who had lived in the area many years ago. It was very rewarding when we were able to give them relevant information or point them in the right direction. I would say to anyone thinking of stewarding do try it. It opened many doors for me.” Fordingbridge Museum has grown out of a wide ranging collection of items amassed by local builder, John Shering. It opened in Kings Yard in Fordingbridge in 2000 and is run entirely by volunteers. Museum Manager, Philippa Duckworth, said, “We have recently analysed our visitor book records for 2015 and found that as well as many local people we had visitors from almost every region of Britain. We also had visitors from 19 other countries in the world with the largest number coming from America, The Netherlands and Australia. Many visitors commented on the warm and friendly welcome they had from the stewards. It would be a tragedy if we were unable to keep the doors open because of a lack of stewards and I would appeal to people to come forward to help us out. You can commit to as much or as little time as you like, no specialist knowledge is required and we give full training and support.” People who are interested in stewarding can drop their contact details into the museum in Kings Yard or ring 01425 655813 or 657850