Welcome to Ruth Yoxon, Wessex Archaeology's newest Heritage Inclusion Officer.
Hello! I’m Ruth and I had the pleasure of joining the Community Engagement team at Wessex Archaeology in July 2022 based in the Salisbury office. As Heritage Inclusion Officer, I design and deliver heritage wellbeing projects where archaeology is the springboard for creative, socially engaged, and meaningful interactions.
I trained as a primary school teacher, then studied an MA in Cultural Heritage Management, after which I was lucky enough to find myself in the wonderful world of heritage learning. I have worked in the museums and heritage sector since 2017, where I worked for Scarborough Museums Trust as a Learning Manager. I then took a big move down to Bath at the beginning of the pandemic to work as Learning and Engagement Officer for Bath Preservation Trust.
The pandemic really highlighted to me the power that heritage has, to improve people’s lives and I became deeply involved in social prescribing heritage inclusion and wellbeing projects. I have now built a background in museums and galleries, creating learning and engagement programmes for schools, families, and diverse communities, with a particular focus on accessibility, wellbeing and inclusion.
I’m excited by the work that has already been done at Wessex Archaeology to support people with mental health needs on their journey to wellbeing, and I feel privileged to now be a part of this. I am passionate about creating welcoming spaces for people to gather, be curious about the past and share stories.
When I’m not at work, you will find me dancing the lindy-hop, swimming outdoors, camping, visiting museums and cuddling any animal that will let me.
Good luck in your new role and welcome to the team Ruth!