£2.2 million grant boost for heritage site.
The Ironbridge Gorge Museum Trust in Shropshire has once again secured its position as one of the country’s 21 Arts Council England Major Partner Museums, resulting in a funding package of £736,000 per year for the next three years.
Barrie Williams, Chairman Ironbridge Gorge Museum Trust commented: “The trustees, staff and volunteers are all delighted that we have once again been funded through the Arts Council England’s Renaissance Programme as it reconfirms our position as one of the country’s leading museums”.
Anna Brennand, Chief Executive explains: “As an independent charity we do not receive any regular funding from local or central government. The majority of our income comes from visitor admissions, spending in our shops and cafés and fundraising activities. Our Major Partner Museum funding will support our wider programme of activities such as the care and development of our collections, our entrepreneurial ways of working and our wide ranging lifelong learning programmes that we undertake both on site and in the local community”.
The Ironbridge Gorge Museum Trust is a registered charity and one of the largest independent museums in the world, with the twin aims of education and heritage conservation in the Ironbridge Gorge World Heritage Site. It was set up in 1967 and now operates 10 award winning museums, and cares for 36 historic buildings and Scheduled Ancient Monuments, two Quaker burial grounds, over 100 acres of woodland, nationally designated collections and a library and archive. The Trust employs over 200 members of staff, has over 500 active volunteers and contributes more than £20 million pounds into the local economy.