Nantgarw China Museum is struggling to cope with a surge of visitors after a number of television appearances.
The museum is the last 19th century porcelain works in the UK. Some of the world’s most valuable porcelain was made there and some pieces have sold for thousands of pounds.
George Fountain, the director of the museum, said, ” As a small museum we don’t receive any funding from the local authority or from any central government sources so we’re very much dependent on being staffed by volunteers”.
They need another five volunteers to meet demand and work alongside the 15 people already helping out.
Mr Fountain said, “We already have a great pool of volunteers but with the increasing numbers we desperately need more because they’re the lifeblood of our organisation, essential for our ongoing sustainable future.”
The museum has been featured on BBC programmes The One Show and Antiques Roadshow after they discovered a lost technique used to make the most valuable porcelain.
Judy Jones has been a volunteer at the museum since 2012. She says she’s noticed the rise in visitors and added, “It is a struggle to do justice to the place when you don’t have enough volunteers and the more visitors, the more volunteers are needed in all sorts of areas.”
The museum has put out a Facebook appeal for volunteers.
