Looking for something local to be involved with? Maybe, volunteering from home?
Your museum offers a number of opportunities to be involved in, working in your community. We pride ourselves in supporting our museum to ensure its future with fundraising, working with youth groups, collecting memories, local history research projects, or being part of our meet and greet Stewarding Team.
If it local volunteering you want to be involved in, please get in contact by calling 01903 740188 or email storringtonmuseum@hotmail.com
April 2023
The Museum and Storrington Local History Group hosted a commemoration service for the new Commonwealth War Graves Headstone for Davis Butcher who died in 1919.
David Butcher was born in Washington in 1890 and on his eighteenth birthday joined the Royal Navy, signing up for twelve years. However, after three years he became medically unfit and was discharged from service.
In 1914 when war broke out he was one of the first from Storrington to join up. Assigned to the Royal Sussex Regiment he went to the training camp at Shoreham but sadly he was declared medically unfit for service. A month later he joined the Army Veterinary Corps as a Horsekeeper and was sent to France. In November 1916 he transferred to the Royal Horse Artillery, posted as a driver joining the Leicester Royal Horse Artillery. Over time he was hospitalised on several occasions and was finally invalided back to the United Kingdom and discharged from service in October 1918. He was eventually sent to the Grosvenor Sanatorium in Kennington where on 22nd October 1919 he passed away. He was just 29 years old with a wife and two children.
Project work in 2014 on Storrington’s war memorial and Roll of Honour by the Storrington Local History Group discovered that David’s grave could not be identified in St Mary’s churchyard. The members of the group wrote to the CWGC to get him the recognition for his war service with a headstone as his medical records stated that his disabilities were attributable to “service during the present war”. In 2018 David’s name was added to the CWGC Book of Remembrance and a CWGC headstone was erected in the churchyard on a spot overlooking where his grave is believed to be.
Taylor Maid in Concert – April 2023
The Taylor Maid Concert hosted by the museum was another great success with tickets sold out weeks before the performance.
Our monthly programme of talks
We have had a great response in attendance and towards our monthly talks.
There’s a talk to suit everyones interest. As a member of the museum you can also access online talks from our partners.
Here is a talk by Holly Trusted who gave us a talk in November 2021 on the Francis Mond memorial at St Mary’s parish church, Storrington.
The Chairman’s Challenge 2021
To celebrate the museum 21st anniversary and to raise much needed funds for the museum our Chairman, Stuart Duncan and fellow walkers, Debbie White, Becky and Nathan Buckell walked a 27 mile challenge across the district.
Places of interest were visited such as Parham House, John Galsworthy’s house in Bury, Amberley Castle, Pulborough Brooks and nine churches.
Back at the museum the walk were monitored through a series of “WhatsApp” messages of images where the walkers were, even a zoom call was made during the afternoon.
Over £1000 was raised to help the future of the museum and we are thankful or all the donations.
ROLLING EXHIBITIONS
To keep the viewing gallery fresh, we have a rolling exhibition display which changes each month to allow you to experience new items and enjoy old favourite mini exhibitions.
APPEAL FOR VOLUNTEER STEWARDS
Can you spare just three hours a month?
Stewards are vital to the Museum and we need more volunteers to help ensure that when safe to do so, the Museum can be open to the public on Wednesdays, Saturdays and Sunday mornings.
Stewards work in pairs and no specialised knowledge or skills are required.
If you would like to learn or be more involved, please contact the Museum on 01903 740188 or contact@storringtonmuseum.com
