These cafés are many and varied supporting people with memory loss and their carers with the help of the Alzheimer’s Society and Bath and NE Somerset Carers Centre, veterans with the support of the local Royal British Legion and also history cafés with the help of Age UK all of which support the St John’s Foundation’s purpose: "Changing lives. For good.”

Somerset Coalfield Life at Radstock Museum has a lovely, relaxed tearoom which will be used outside of museum opening hours for a safe space for these cafés.

Artefacts, old photos, maps and books from the museum’s collection will be used to begin conversations for attendees of the history cafés, while personnel from the Royal British Legion will be on hand to support veterans in any way required for the veteran cafés. For those with memory loss and their carers, familiar items, adverts, and music from their era will help to stimulate conversations and happy memories from the past at the memory cafés. All of course over a hot or cold drink, cakes, and biscuits.

The museum ran a very successful pilot of these cafés throughout 2019, prior to the pandemic and are now able to resume the cafés with a new Community Programme Manager.

The museum also attends many village days and local festivals throughout the summer months, and the Community Programme Manager (CPM) will help to organise museum volunteers to man the museum gazeebo, and portable exhibition boards to reach out to local people at these community events. Other community events that take place at the museum, such as the Victorian Christmas event in conjunction with Radstock Town Council’s Christmas lights switch on, will also be overseen by the CPM.

The holder of this post will report to the Museum Trustees through the Chair. It is offered as a part-time position (fifteen hours/week, to include community cafés potentially on Mondays (am and/or pm) and Fridays am) and is initially available for one year with potential to extend for a second year. The salary will be in the region of £17,500 pa pro rata (based on thirty hour week).

Please apply by email to: [email protected].

The deadline is 5pm on Friday, 1st July.

If you have any questions, please send them to the same address.