Manchester Jewish Museum volunteers took centre stage at the JVN Lifetime of Volunteering Awards.
Volunteers from Manchester Jewish Museum (MJM) were given a surprise moment of national recognition last month when they were named Outstanding Volunteer Team of the Year at the Jewish Volunteering Network (JVN) Awards.
The awards celebrated volunteers from across the UK Jewish community. For Manchester, the standout moment came during a live link-up to the museum where the volunteer team was announced as winners – a moment that captured the pride, warmth, and sense of shared achievement that volunteering brings to the city.
The judging panel praised the MJM volunteers for their ongoing dedication, teamwork, and commitment to creating an inclusive and welcoming visitor experience. From front-of-house support to behind-the-scenes roles, volunteers play a vital part in every aspect of the museum’s work.
Julia Gorko, Marketing and Fundraising Manager at the Jewish Museum, said: “The museum could not be what it is without the volunteer team’s help, support, care, and passion. On behalf of the whole staff team, I want to congratulate them. We are incredibly proud and grateful for everything they do.”
Rebecca Mickler, JVN’s Manchester Lead, who presented the award, added: “It was a privilege to present the award to MJM’s volunteer team. This remarkable team won because of their ongoing dedication to the museum, its visitors, and the wider community. It was a hugely well-deserved win.”
The Manchester win formed part of a wider celebration of volunteering, with 91 award winners recognised across four categories. South Manchester-based volunteer Rae Ingleby from WIZO Manchester also won a Lifetime Achievement Award.
This year’s ceremony also launched JVN’s new Living Volunteer Archive, designed to preserve volunteers’ stories for future generations.
