Brighter outlook for museum (From Tewkesbury Admag)

Brighter outlook for museum

7:16am Wednesday 14th February 2007 in News By Peggy Clatworthy

Tewkesbury Museum's future looks more assured, with a grant from the borough council.

The council was threatening to cut the £8,000 a year as one of its measures to balance its budget.

However a report to the community and economy committee pointed out that museum has an income of between £15,00 and £10,00 a year, of which the council grant is the major part, and that it was unlikely to be able to survive without it.

Coun Mrs Joan Sklenar told the meeting that the when the Tourist Information Centre moves to the Old Hat Shop later this year the museum trustees will need money to fit out and refurbish their office as one of the main rooms in the museum.

She added that it relies on volunteers to man the desk and sell tickets, and employs a curator for just three days a week, but who frequently works much longer hours than that.

After a great deal of the discussion the committee recommended, not only to continue paying the grant for the next three years, but also to encourage the museum to apply for a capital grant to carry out various schemes.

They also said that other sources of funding should be investigated over that three-year period A grant of £1000 was also recommended for Winchcombe Folk and Police Museum.

The recommendation will be considered by the full council when it meets on February 22.