AN INITIATIVE is helping care home residents in Salisbury to delve into the history of museum artefacts.

Milford House Care Home has teamed up with The Salisbury Museum to trial its handling box and online Zoom sessions, which aim to connect residents within the home with artefacts at the museum while they are unable to visit in person.

Residents of Milford House, which is run by Barchester Healthcare, have been exploring a range of themed handling boxes that amongst others have included a box containing Stone Age flints, antlers and other tools.

Of particular interest was a large flint hand axe that had been unearthed not far from the home.

This trial initiative came about as a result of the museum’s regular Conversation Club mornings, which had to shut down due to the pandemic, as a way of continuing and developing links between the museum and the community.

The project provides residents from Milford House with a themed box of artefacts that they can handle, look at closely and discuss amongst themselves which is then followed by a scheduled Zoom session with a member of staff at The Salisbury Museum to review each item more deeply and delve further into its history.

Sarah Gregson, the community curator (Wiltshire) from the Wessex Museums Partnership ,who is overseeing the project, said: “The museum is here for all the community to enjoy.

“During the current pandemic it is even more important that we maintain community links and make the wonderful objects that we house here available to as wide an audience as possible, and this initiative is a way of doing this.

“Working with Milford House we are getting feedback on how the scheme is working and each time we work together we learn more about how we can create and develop the best experience for everyone.”

Maire-Therese Tiernan, the general manager of the home, said: “Residents have really enjoyed maintaining their links with the Museum and exploring its varied catalogue of artefacts.

“They loved the Conversation Club, and so we are lucky that modern technology has allowed us to continue working with the museum and, as we all get more proficient at using the various platforms to connect, the experience for everyone gets better each time.”