Hi Jim,
National Trust is indeed well off, but also relies on a huge number of people who like to show people round properties etc, and I imagine a lot of these are retirees who like to get out and aren't being exploited. Bringing in someone to provide technical skills for a fixed project 'feels' different - and I strongly think the post that kicked this off should be a paid one - but pinning down exactly what the difference is in structured rules is more tricky than you might initially think. The Gov.uk guidance has a go, and is full of quite fine distinctions.
I also think the 'we are broke' excuse varies in weight by institution - we've all seen museums (esp those getting a slice from local authorities) facing falling completely off a cliff - e.g look at Birmingham Museums Trust before the city council changed its mind, or the Lancashire museums that remain closed and can't find any takers. For others, I agree with you, institutions can end up feeling that they 'can't afford to pay the intern' because there has been a culture of not having to. For the vast majority of places, it has to become part of the cost of doing business.
K
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