VOLUNTEERS from a community museum in Torfaen have been recognised for their work after receiving a national award.

Workers at the Blaenavon Community Museum have been awarded the ‘Marsh Volunteers for Museum Learning Award’ for both Wales and the United Kingdom.

As a partnership between the Marsh Christian Trust and the British Museum, the awards recognise the innovative ways that volunteers engage the public with museum collections.

As a result of local authority spending cuts, the Blaenavon Community Museum was relocated into the town’s historic Workmen’s Hall in 2015, with each artefact having to be individually packed, recorded and safely moved to a new home.

On presenting the national award to the Blaenavon Community Museum volunteers, chairman of the Marsh Christian Trust Brian Marsh OBE, praised the group's efforts during this move.

“Your work in facilitating the relocation of the Blaenavon Community Museum and your efforts to increase the profile of the museum in the tourism industry, was considered by the judging panel as exceptional,” he said.

The volunteer-run museum has also been awarded full accreditation from the Arts Council and the Welsh Government’s Museums, Archives and Libraries division for its professional standards.

Since re-opening to the public, visitor figures have increased with people visiting from across the world to learn more about Blaenavon’s heritage.

In acknowledgement of their achievements, volunteers were also awarded a cheque for £2,500, spent a day at the British Museum and enjoyed a drinks reception with other UK regional winners.