'Critical’ funding for Shrewsbury museum service will 'prevent reduction' in opening days
Shropshire Council has welcomed the awarding of a £226,238 grant, given to support its museum service.
Cash-strapped Shropshire Council said the money would maintain levels of employment and prevent "any reduction in programming and opening days".
The funding boost, from Arts Council England’s Museum Renewal and Renewal Top Up Fund, will also help the museum service develop more ways of making money.
Fay Bailey, Shropshire Council’s culture and heritage development manager, said: “Museums across the UK continue to face a range of long-term challenges that pose serious risks to their sustainability.
"This funding will help to maintain levels of employment in 2025/26 thereby preventing any reduction in programming and opening days at Shropshire Museums & Archives.
"The generous grant from DCMS will also enable the development of income-generating areas of the service like the museum café and shop.
“We are very grateful to DCMS [Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport] and Arts Council England and to the English Civic Museums Network who have successfully lobbied on behalf of all regional museums to help us gain this vital support.”
Shropshire Council will receive £226,238 for Shropshire Museums, which is responsible for Shrewsbury Museum and Art Gallery, Shrewsbury Castle, Ludlow Museum Resource Centre, Much Wenlock Museum and the Coleham Pumping Station.
The local authority is currently seeking to make huge savings to avoid bankrupcy, but say that museums around the country are "grappling with severe financial strain and uncertainty".
James Owen, cabinet member for housing and leisure, said: “We are immensely proud of our teams. This grant from Arts Council England recognises the vital role our museums and archives play in Shropshire’s identity during these challenging times.
"It will help us to continue our work of research, heritage management and community engagement.”
