Lessons LearntCommunity Museums

Zoe Gealy Senior Learning Oficer Amgueddfa Cymru/National Museums Wales

“Wales is extraordinarily rich in culture and heritage, and if local communities can draw more deeply on these resources, they can help to raise achievement, reduce poverty and foster pride in community. The foundations are all there.  What is needed is common purpose and clear frameworks to enable people to work together creatively.”

Baroness Kay Andrews OBE

Don’t re-invent the wheel

ASK….. What communities want/need?

Look at other local provision

Check days

Suitable timing?

Where?

Transport

Pride in Penderry – Community Museum

Pride in Penderry – Kids in Museums Takeover Day

PARTNERSHIP

Communities First

Housing staffLocal Librarian

Time to manage it?

Time to set up?

Popular times to visit?

VOLUNTEERS

Realistic & Achievable

‘You can’t force people to like the things that you do’Gregor Henderson – Director of Wellbeing and Mental Health at public health England

Ownership

Self Sustained

Communal facility

Main things we have learnt…so far

• Build flexibility into your methodology• Find out what your partners agendas are –

can you link to them?• Catch your hare - get the coordinators on

board first.• Devise projects that link to 2,3 or more

different agendas • Don’t re-invent the wheel – use what you

have. Hook in to what others are doing already

• Take advantage of unexpected events • Check that your project is realistic and

achievable.

• Work in Partnership whenever possible – work shared is halved.

• Use expertise from other departments within your organisation and keep all informed in the loop.

• Attend other people’s events to target hardest to reach audiences in their comfort zone

• Stay flexible and adaptable• Regularly review how you approach projects

and how you evaluate.• Keep an eye on what is affecting your

partners - ie. changes to the way the local authority can operate under times of extreme financial stringency. Review charging policies regularly.

What happens next

Welsh Government funding• Amgueddfa Cymru has to adjust to new funding

amount from Welsh government

Local Authorities• Changes in how Welsh Govt asks councils to

work with communities in areas of deprivation• Possible phased closure of Communities First

structure locally.

National Waterfront Museum • Keeps targeting CF areas with its special

outreach programmes• Keeps working in partnership