I built a thing

Vanessa Kirby

Oct 3

2 min read

I've been a trustee at Wimbledon Windmill Museum for a few years now. And it's been one of those roles that has given me something rather different from my day job. Its a fascinating and quirky museum - the only museum dedicated to Windmills inside a Windmill. It has its own unique backstory - from working windmill, influencing the laws of Wimbledon, converted into 6 cottages and now restored and a museum.

I spend much of my working life thinking about customer experience, digital products, teams and how to make organisations work better. Being a trustee gave me the opportunity to do some things I wouldn't normally do.

I got involved in the marketing and social media, volunteered, helped out at events and generally mucked in. Because that's what you do when you're part of a small charity. You don't just sit around a board table and offer strategic advice. Sometimes you have to roll your sleeves up.

Last year, I took on the museum shop. On a teeny tiny budget.

I designed it, sourced everything, stripped out the old one, built the new one and stocked it. In February, before we opened for the season. It was freezing.

My partner in crime was another trustee - an octogenarian engineer who turned up with his trusty toolkit. We had a thoroughly enjoyable time and realising we had so much more in common - we'd both lived in the Middle East at the a similar time. Cold hands, a myriad of spirit levels and a shared view on exactly where a shelf should go.

So, did it work?

My business head asked the obvious question: did it increase sales? Somewhat.

Did footfall go up? Yes. People stopped, and they looked for longer.

But that wasn't really the point. The shop sits right by the front door. It's the first thing people see when they arrive. Now it's lighter, more obvious, modern and fresh. It feels welcoming. And for a charity, that's all we really want - come in and enjoy the museum.

Sometimes the experience is the result.

What's next

I'd like to do more of this. If you're looking for a non-exec or trustee who brings product, service design and a bit of experience thinking - and doesn't mind getting her hands dirty - I'd love to hear from you.