Museum Saved!

Before Christmas on 6th December I sat with representatives of several other interested bodies to hear the Head of Culture & Enterprise, Janice McGuinness present to us the plan for the future of the whole museum service, including Herne Bay. There had been indications that the news might be good, but this was confirmation, the museum was indeed saved and the campaign had made a significant impact on the chain of events that led to the new policy.

The new commercial approach which has assured the museum a future includes: a £2 entrance fee for non resident adults, a complete overhaul of the retail and shop area, efficiency measures within the museum including greater staff empowerment, a proactive approach to attracting outside funding and much closer links with the community.

The Museums, Libraries and Archives Council were instrumental in helping to formulate the fresh approach. Their review of the City Council's whole museum service highlighted all these issues and reserved special praise for the potential level of community support as demonstrated by the campaigns triggered by the original council proposals to close three museums out of six.

The council has listened to these campaigns and all the interest groups who have had input into the subsequent review procedure. In Herne Bay it was quickly evident that our ad-hoc campaign had to turn onto something properly constituted so that we could have a voice in the proceedings. Friends of Herne Bay Museum was the result and up to now has been exclusively engaged in the campaign and the consultation process. This is a victory for the whole community, without those 2000 signatures and the blizzard of emails and letters, we would not have had the weight behind us during the talks, and Herne Bay would have been left without a voice, well done, everyone and thank you.

The future is exciting, if the council is as good as its word and adheres seriously to the recommendations of the MLA review, then lots of things then become possible. One of the most common complaints from people has been that, apart from the gallery space, "the museum never changes". There is a general perception that "there are things in storage that we never get to see". One of the complaints I most often hear is "there isn't enough information on the things that are on display".

Action on all these complaints we can now begin to press for. By spring next year the restructuring within the museum will have taken root and we can start to build relationships that will lead to creative solutions. I truly believe that the museum will be recast as a much more open and receptive body with a human face.

So with the new year come opportunities, ideas please people. What have you ever wanted to see or do in the museum? Have you ever expressed frustration or disappointment at some aspect of the museum or its shop? Which bits of the museum do you like best and want to stay as it is?

Please let us know, we need to put together a list of wishes, hopes and ambitions, however mad your idea, put it in an email or in a letter and send it to:

FoHBM Newsletter, 1 Mickleburgh Hill, Herne Bay, CT6 6AA or email: MuseumFriends@HerneBayMatters.com

David Cross, Secretary

January 2011

Welcome

Welcome to the Friends of Herne Bay Museum, which has come into being really as a result of last years bombshell announcement of possible closure. The campaign group that formed in response to this threatforms the core of the current committee. The reason for the Friends is the need to cement the mass of protest into something more substantial, and to be a more positive, creative and active influence in support of our town museum.

So how successful have we been? There have been a number of meetings recently with the Council and other bodies concerning Herne Bay Museum as well as other CCC museums under threat. The government body, the MLA (Museums, Libraries and Archives Council) has got involved and is currently undertaking a review on the whole museum service.

After holding question and answer sessions with council staff, museum staff and stakeholders (the Friends were represented in this group), the MLA assessors delivered a short verbal report to the council that we are told was highly critical. In September they will produce a definitive written report with recommendations, which we understand will be published.

Since then the Council has held a Museum Stakeholder Consultation Day with all the major stakeholders represented. There was vigorous debate and many different points of view expressed. The discussion covered the future of the service, its major flaws and current council policy. The Council's job is now to take all the information and ideas from the whole review process and begin to draft new polices in line with the current economic situation, the criticisms expressed throughout the campaign since last November and the results of the MLA review.

We expect that sometime in September there will be a further meeting and then we will get some idea of their intentions. The only certain thing is that the campaign, both in Herne Bay and in Canterbury has had an impact upon Council thinking, but it remains to be seen whether that has materially affected the future shape of the museum.

David Cross, secretary

August 2010