In partnership with Herefordshire Council, HMSSG has secured £39,300 from Heritage Lottery’s Resilient Heritage scheme to pay for a review by specialist consultants of the options for the Museum Service moving on to a sustainable, realistic business model for the future.
This is taking account of the wider context of the Museum Service.  Funding has also

covered six months work by a Revenue Development Officer. Museum specialist consultants Prince and Pearce were engaged to start in September 2017, to find and examine the best sustainable models for funding, running and developing the Museum Service in future.

How can the Museum Service operate best within the wider context of the future of all the Council’s Cultural Services?  It is necessary to consider other local heritage and cultural developments taking place, such as proposals for the future of the Library and Museum Building in Broad Street, ideas for the Broad Street area more widely, and the ‘Great Place’ Project. A report on the results of this project will be published in March 2018.

A new governance and business model for the Museum must generate sufficient income to be sustainable and also invest in and develop improved, modern facilities, services and activities. It must suit all people’s needs and excite their interests, whether they are residents within the County or visitors. This project will provide guidance on how best to achieve that suitable sustainable and developmental model for the future. Do you have your own ideas to share? Please contact us to tell us.

Revenue Development is also an important part of this project. One task is to seek funding for conservation work on two wall panels at the Black and White House, and another is to find ways of improving signposting (since some visitors have found it hard to find the entrance to the Black and White House), and retail opportunities.