The museum and its collections have been developed over many years by dedicated people, with the support of many funding bodies. The museum stands as a testament to our soldiers, their families and communities. Looking to the future, our vision is to take the museum onto even greater things and make it a great place for telling stories and learning about our heritage.
Volunteers Linda and Freda proudly displaying our Cornwall Heritage Awards in 2019.
We’re grateful to our funders who enable us to do great projects with the community.
We’re a museum for all ages where you can learn about Cornish and World History and the people that made it happen.
Our aim is to educate, entertain and inspire a broad range of people of all ages. We want to develop the museum so that it is recognised as a leader in Cornwall and in the nation’s military heritage. We also aim to make a real contribution to the wellbeing and economy of our local community and county, and to our military family.
Read our Learning and Participation Policy 2020.
Each year we welcome more schools to the museum. We offer a variety of workshops and experiences for schools with cross curricular links.
To realise our vision we need to secure the future finances of the museum and make it sustainable in the long-term. To do this, we are focusing on making the museum more accessible, appealing and relevant to a wide range of visitors, and on gathering the support of those connected to the Regiments. With the support of funders such as the National Lottery Heritage Fund and Arts Council England we are working behind the scenes to strengthen our organisation and put in place strong foundations for the future.
To read more about how you can support us in our aims please visit the support us pages of the website.
Director
Director Helen Bishop-Stephens has 30 years’ experience in arts and culture management with expertise in programming, marketing and fundraising. She has held senior roles in a variety of cultural organisations including Arts Council England, Lakeside Arts Centre, Nottingham and Cheltenham Festivals.
Since returning to her native Cornwall, Helen has worked for Harvey’s Foundry Trust, the Children’s Sailing Trust and Cornwall Neighbourhoods for Change prior to coming to Bodmin Keep.
Visitor Services and Operations Manager
Gabrielle join the Bodmin Keep team as Visitor Services & Operations Manager in October 2023. Gabrielle is responsible for all aspects of the visitor experience and ensuring the smooth running of the museum and facilities at Bodmin Keep.
Email: Gabrielle.OConnor@bodminkeep.org.uk
Learning Manager
Leah Mason, Learning Manager. Along with an MA in Heritage Theory and Practice, Leah has six years experience working in schools and specialist SEND units.
Leah works with our learning volunteer team to develop and deliver creative and engaging workshops for schools across the region.
Email: leah.mason@bodminkeep.org.uk
Interim Marketing Manager
Responsible for all aspects of Bodmin Keep’s marketing, PR and communications activities. Arwen Fitch is a senior Communications specialist, with 25 years of experience working at many of England’s leading arts organisations such as Arts Council England, The National Gallery, Hayward Gallery, The Women’s Library and Royal Festival Hall. As Co-Founder of F & M Studio, Arwen works with other cultural organisations and businesses in Cornwall, and is currently an Advisor to the Arts and Culture Committee of Penzance Town Council (formerly Penlee House and Gallery) and a member of Women Leaders in Museums and Heritage, South West.
Assistant Curator
Assistant Curator James Inglis joined the team at Bodmin Keep in January 2024. He is responsible for maintaining, researching and exhibiting the museum’s unique collection artefacts relating to the army in Cornwall. In 2023, he completed a PhD in Modern History at the University of St Andrews where he researched the development of office technologies at the turn of the twentieth century. Prior to moving to Bodmin, he worked on exhibitions at the British Library, the National Museum of Scotland and Tower Bridge.
Administrator
Tina James joined the Museum April 2024. She has over 45 years’ experience in the Banking, Retail and Customer Service Industries. Tina is supporting our Team by undertaking a variety of Administrative Tasks to help with the smooth running of our Charity.
