Extract from Central Bedfordshire Culture Mailer July Edition

Getting to know the cultural professionals of Central Bedfordshire

Ann Ledger, Woburn Heritage Centre

Hello, My name is Ann, and I volunteer at the Woburn Heritage Centre as a front of house ‘meeter and greeter’ and I also volunteer in the role of trustee.

The Woburn Heritage Centre is a small, but ‘perfectly formed’ museum, telling the story of historic Woburn and its people, from grand aristocracy to the humble, praiseworthy families who have lived there for decades.   It is a museum of the town and its community.

My volunteering experience has been two-fold. Firstly, meeting our visitors on their first visit, or maybe, as is so often the case, successive visits, I have been inspired by their enthusiasm and curiosity about our collections.  This, in turn, has motivated my inquisitiveness which has been met by a wealth of knowledge so freely given by local people interested in their local history. Knowledge and information regularly contributed by local people keeps our museum alive and relevant.

Secondly, my role as trustee has brought a wider understanding of the running and administration of a museum, never to be under-estimated !  As many trustees are aware, Accreditation is the buzz word, and earning that Accreditation is no easy task. In 2023 Woburn Heritage Centre was once again awarded Full Accreditation and the work towards this has given the trustees a clear pathway to follow to encourage a wider more diverse audience to visit our museum.

Finally, a word about being in Central Bedfordshire, what’s good about it.

Statistically, it seems that Central Bedfordshire is in the top 10% of best locations to live, according to uSwitch Best Places to live in the UK, but, for me, I enjoy rural environments, but not too far from a shopping mall should I need it.  I enjoy walking and watching wildlife. Bedfordshire is dotted with hundreds of beautiful footpaths - The Greensand Ridge and the Chiltern Hills connect with Central Bedfordshire, which ticks all the boxes for me.  There is plenty of parkland and open spaces, historic buildings and museums all tucked into this area of Central Bedfordshire, what more could you want?

When you’re next our way, do pop in - you can find all the information you need on our website.