Brixham Heritage Museum volunteers protest against suspension

Volunteers protested outside a museum after their memberships were suspended.

Barbara Davies, 91, is one of eight people who volunteered at Brixham Heritage Museum before she was suspended in November 2022.

They said they had not received any explanation from the museum.

The museum said the suspended volunteers had been offered the opportunity to meet individually with trustees but did not take up the opportunity. It added that it was leading the museum “to a bright future with the support of stakeholders”.

Ms Davies said she was “hysterical” when she received the email informing her that her membership had been suspended.

She said: “I think it’s really a disgrace to suspend us all without telling us the reason.”

“I don’t understand their way of thinking.”

She said she always “enjoyed” it when “members of the public would come in and talk to me…”

Josephine Thompson, who also volunteered at the museum until her suspension in 2022, said the suspension had “taken a tremendous amount of emotional and physical energy.”

She said she thought it was “incredible” and that it was important to support volunteers in general.

In a statement, the museum said one of the volunteers had been expelled from the museum due to another disciplinary matter.

It was said that an investigation was ongoing.

It said: “Legal and professional advice has been sought on behalf of the museum and we hope that this situation will be resolved soon.”

The museum said the investigation had been “underway for some time” and was a “matter for the Board of Trustees.”

The museum’s trustees declined to comment further.