Working with Cornwall Museum Partnership, we secured funding from the National Heritage Lottery Fund, to develop and deliver a collaborative programme of leadership and skills development for rural museums in Cornwall, Devon, Dorset and Somerset.
The four areas of focus were:
- Strategic fundraising
- Finance
- Marketing
- Business planning
These were identified by the sector itself as the main areas that are fundamental to a museum’s ability to continue to thrive and grow. The programme supported museums to develop effective, proactive and outward-looking leadership, through a focus on strengthening museum boards.
Combining their extensive experience of working with smaller rural museums, we collectively developed a skills development programme. Peer groups came together for the two-year programme to share successes and ideas, as well as challenges, whilst being supported through tailored business mentoring.
These topics form the basis for our E-learning that is available nationally for museum staff and volunteers, as well as workshops and a mentoring scheme that will work with selected museums in the South West area.
The Resilience Programme invested nearly £400,000 over two years to achieve a cultural shift in the way museums respond to, and take advantage of, a fast-changing environment to ensure they are able to strengthen and deepen the vital role they play in their communities.