Museum trust plans discussed
News release issued:
Plans have been outlined to establish Bewdley museum as a fully independent trust.
Wyre Forest District Council is considering the move in an effort to secure the future of the award winning attraction. The plans include transferring the town’s Guildhall and QEII Gardens to the new trust.
The proposals would see a museum trust set up on a sustainable financial footing and would include a grant agreement for the new trust. This would be worth several hundred thousand pounds a year. The plans would also see any collection items owned by the exiting charity or by the council transferred to the new museum trust.
The proposals are being discussed at a meeting of the Council’s Overview and Scrutiny Committee on Thursday 5 November at 6pm.
Councillor Helen Dyke, Wyre Forest District Council’s Cabinet Member for Culture, Leisure and Community Protection said:
“We know what an important asset Bewdley Museum is to the district as a whole. In 2019 it attracted more than 200,000 visits. The site is also home to a tourist information centre and the town’s art gallery and provides a venue for many activities.
“As the economic pressures on Wyre Forest District Council continue to increase, we are looking for the best way to make sure the museum, Guildhall and QEII Gardens remain key features of our district. We believe by creating a museum trust with a board of trustees with the relevant skills we would be giving the museum the best chance to develop further.”
The meeting can be watched live on our local democracy streaming page.
Any recommendations from the Overview and Scrutiny Committee will be considered by the Cabinet at its meeting on Thursday 10 November at 6pm, which will also be available to view.