The British Association of Friends of Museums (BAFM) is an independent organisation for Friends, supporters, and volunteers in

museums A museum is an institution dedicated to displaying or preserving culturally or scientifically significant objects. Many museums have exhibitions of these objects on public display, and some have private collections that are used by researchers ...

, galleries, and

heritage site A historic site or heritage site is an official location where pieces of political, military, cultural, or social history have been preserved due to their cultural heritage value. Historic sites are usually protected by law, and many have been rec ...

s within the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Northwestern Europe, off the coast of European mainland, the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...

.What is BAFM?
, British Association of Friends of Museums. It was established in 1973. It is a registered charity no 1159670. BAFM represents around 200,000 Friends and volunteers in the UK. It provides a network of support from people with practical experience of running Friends organisations and is a central source of information. It has links with UK Area Museum Councils and other national UK organisations such as: *

Association of Independent Museums The Association of Independent Museums (AIM) is an organisation that represents and supports independent museums based in the United Kingdom. It was established in 1977. AIM produces the ''Aim Bulletin'', a bi-monthly magazine that is free for mem ...

(AIM) *

Charity Commission for England and Wales The Charity Commission for England and Wales is a non-ministerial government department, non-ministerial department of Government of the United Kingdom, His Majesty's Government that regulates Charitable organization, registered charities in En ...

Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport The Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) is a ministerial department of the Government of the United Kingdom. It holds the responsibility for culture and sport, and some aspects of the media throughout the UK, such as broadcasting. I ...

(DCMS) (

UK government His Majesty's Government, abbreviated to HM Government or otherwise UK Government, is the central government, central executive authority of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

) *

Museums Association The Museums Association (MA) is a professional membership organisation based in London for museum, gallery and heritage professionals and organisations of the United Kingdom. It also offers international membership. History The association w ...

(MA) *

National Council for Voluntary Organisations The National Council for Voluntary Organisations (NCVO) is the umbrella body for the voluntary and community sector in England. It is a registered charity (no. 225922). It works to support the voluntary and community sector and to create an en ...

(NCVO) BAFM is a member of the World Federation of Friends of Museums. It organizes national and regional events, provides a ''Handbook for Friends'', a ''Handbook for Heritage Volunteer Managers & Administrators'', and many information sheets. The BAFM publish a biannual Journal.

Patron

Prince Richard, Duke of Gloucester

President

* 2005-2014 Loyd Grossman OBE, FSA. * 2015-2023 Dame

Rosemary Butler Rosemary Butler may refer to: * Rosemary Butler (politician) Dame Rosemary Janet Mair Butler (''née'' McGrath; born 21 January 1943) is a British politician who served as Presiding Officer of the National Assembly for Wales (now Llywydd of ...

DBE. * from 2023- The Lord Cormack DL FSA

Annual Conferences

*1989 Annual Conference at

Bristol Bristol () is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city, unitary authority area and ceremonial county in South West England, the most populous city in the region. Built around the River Avon, Bristol, River Avon, it is bordered by t ...

. *2006 Norwich with keynote speaker

Joan Bakewell Joan Dawson Bakewell, Baroness Bakewell (''née'' Rowlands; born 16 April 1933), is an English journalist, television presenter and Labour Party peer. Baroness Bakewell is president of Birkbeck, University of London; she is also an author and ...

. *2007 Annual Conference in

Liverpool Liverpool is a port City status in the United Kingdom, city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. It is situated on the eastern side of the River Mersey, Mersey Estuary, near the Irish Sea, north-west of London. With a population ...

. 2007 Robert Logan award presented by Loyd Grossman. *2008 35th Annual Conference at

Penzance Penzance ( ; ) is a town, civil parish and port in the Penwith district of Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. It is the westernmost major town in Cornwall and is about west-southwest of Plymouth and west-southwest of London. Situated in the ...

. *2009 36th Annual Conference and AGM at

York York is a cathedral city in North Yorkshire, England, with Roman Britain, Roman origins, sited at the confluence of the rivers River Ouse, Yorkshire, Ouse and River Foss, Foss. It has many historic buildings and other structures, such as a Yor ...

. *2010 BAFM 37th Annual Conference & AGM

Isle of Man The Isle of Man ( , also ), or Mann ( ), is a self-governing British Crown Dependency in the Irish Sea, between Great Britain and Ireland. As head of state, Charles III holds the title Lord of Mann and is represented by a Lieutenant Govern ...

24–26 September 2010. *2011 Annual Conference at London Transport Museum in September. *2014 41st Annual Conference at

Swansea Swansea ( ; ) is a coastal City status in the United Kingdom, city and the List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, second-largest city of Wales. It forms a Principal areas of Wales, principal area, officially known as the City and County of ...

. *2015 42nd Annual Conference at

Cheltenham Cheltenham () is a historic spa town and borough adjacent to the Cotswolds in Gloucestershire, England. Cheltenham became known as a health and holiday spa town resort following the discovery of mineral springs in 1716, and claims to be the mo ...

. *2016 43rd Annual Conference at the Ironbridge Gorge Museum,

Coalbrookdale Coalbrookdale is a town in the Ironbridge Gorge and the Telford and Wrekin borough of Shropshire, England, containing a settlement of great significance in the history of iron ore smelting. It lies within the civil parish called The Gorge, Shro ...

. *2017 44th Annual Conference at the

London Transport Museum The London Transport Museum (LTM) is a transport museum based in Covent Garden, London. The museum predominantly hosts exhibits relating to the heritage of Transport in London, London's transport, as well as conserving and explaining the histo ...

. *2018 Annual Conference at

Newcastle upon Tyne Newcastle upon Tyne, or simply Newcastle ( , Received Pronunciation, RP: ), is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city and metropolitan borough in Tyne and Wear, England. It is England's northernmost metropolitan borough, located o ...

. The winner of the first best newsletter award was The Black Country Museum Friends. *2019 Annual Conference at

Reading, Berkshire Reading ( ) is a town and borough in Berkshire, England, and the county town of Berkshire. It is the United Kingdom's largest town, with a combined population of 355,596. Most of Reading built-up area, its built-up area lies within the Borough ...

. The winner of the best newsletter was the Lyme Regis Museum Friends. *2020 AGM held remotely. *2021 Annual AGM on Zoom. *2022 49th Annual Conference at

Dundee Dundee (; ; or , ) is the List of towns and cities in Scotland by population, fourth-largest city in Scotland. The mid-year population estimate for the locality was . It lies within the eastern central Lowlands on the north bank of the Firt ...

. October 2022 *2023 50th Annual Conference at

Doncaster Doncaster ( ) is a city status in the United Kingdom, city in South Yorkshire, England. Named after the River Don, Yorkshire, River Don, it is the administrative centre of the City of Doncaster metropolitan borough, and is the second largest se ...

in September. The winner of the Newsletter of the year award was the Friends of Birmingham Museums. *2024 51st Annual Conference at

Wisbech Wisbech ( ) is a market town, inland port and civil parish in the Fenland District, Fenland district in Cambridgeshire, England. In 2011 it had a population of 31,573. The town lies in the far north-east of Cambridgeshire, bordering Norfolk and ...

in October in place of Southampton who withdrew. *2025 52nd Annual Conference at

Awards

Since 2021 BAFM has operated an IMPACT award currently (2022) £1k. * The Friends of The Egypt Centre in

were winners of 2022 Impact Award. Runners Up were The Friends of Beamish Museum. Highly commended were: The Friends of Lyme Regis Museum, The Friends of Wisbech and Fenland Museum, Herefordshire Museum Service Support Group and The Friends of Reading Museum. *2021 Impact Winners - Friends of Upminster Windmill. Highly Commended were: Costume and Textile Association, The Friends of the

Judges Lodgings, Lancaster The Judges' Lodgings, formerly a town house and now a museum, is located between Church Street and Castle Hill, Lancaster, Lancashire, Lancaster, Lancashire, England. It is recorded in the National Heritage List for England as a designated Grad ...

and The Friends of

The Whitworth The Whitworth is an art gallery in Manchester, England, containing over 60,000 items in its collection. The gallery is located in Whitworth Park and is part of the University of Manchester. In 2015, the Whitworth reopened after it was transfor ...

. Robert Logan Award * 2015 Jasmine Farram of Tunbridge Wells Museum and Art Gallery. * 2019 Holiday Donaldson Newsletter of the Year Award * 2023 Winners Friends of Birmingham Museums. Runners Up Certificates of Merit - Friends of Bowes Museum and the Friends of Bristol Museum and Archives. Highly Commended Certificates - The Friends of Oakwell Park, the Friends of Southampton City Art Gallery and the Friends of Rayleigh Town Museum. Friends of the Year Award * 2023 Friends of Wisbech & Fenland Museum

References

External links

*{{Official website, https://www.bafm.co.uk/ Organizations established in 1973 Museum organizations Non-profit organisations based in the United Kingdom 1973 establishments in the United Kingdom