The Gainsborough Heritage Association is pleased and proud to announce its recent achievement of Museum Accreditation status through the Arts Council Museum Accreditation Scheme.
This is an honour for the volunteers at the Gainsborough Heritage Centre who in October 2024 celebrated the thirtieth anniversary of the Gainsborough Heritage Association.
The Heritage Association began after calls by many people for a Museum facility to be created in the town. After an impressive exhibition held at Richmond Park, the Heritage Centre had its first premises in the former Marshall’s works, moving to the Old Post Office building in 2007. A key milestone in the history of the Association featured the Grand Re-Opening of the Heritage Centre in 2016 by a Gainsborough born actress, Julia Deakin.
The Centre continues to be run by a fantastic and dedicated team of volunteers who work hard continuing to refresh and maintain our exhibition displays, supporting our younger volunteers with creative projects such as the Future of the Past including development of a digital timeline and publicity advert.
From delivering our schools programme and group visits to recording and preserving our extensive archives, research library and collection of Marshall drawings, the volunteers raise essential funds to ensure the Heritage Centre continues to be a fantastic resource for the town of Gainsborough.
Administered by Arts Council England on behalf of the UK Accreditation Partnership, Accreditation is the benchmark for well-run Museums and Galleries.
It means that the Gainsborough Heritage Association is properly managed and governed to the nationally agreed industry standard and shows the museum takes proper care of its collections, sharing them with visitors and keeping them safe for future generations.
Accreditation opens up exciting funding opportunities, allows museums to host touring exhibitions and gives access to professional advice and support. It also gives confidence to donors and sponsors who may wish to support the museum in preserving heritage and inspiring future generations.
Accreditation covers museums of all types and sizes – from the smallest volunteer-run museums to national museums – and more than 1,700 museums are currently taking part in the scheme across the UK.
More information about the Accreditation scheme can be found here.
Andrew Birkitt, Chairman at the Gainsborough Heritage Association, said: “I am privileged to have been involved in the development of the Association over the last 30 years. To be recognised as a museum within the Arts Council is an honour. I hope you will join me in thanking the hard work of the volunteers and a special mention to Lynne Birkitt who has spent many hours working through application forms and improvements to our paperwork to ensure the Centre is fully up to date and in line with national and local governance standards.”
Lynne Birkitt, Accreditation Officer at the Gainsborough Heritage Association, said: “I am so excited the Association has been awarded this national recognition. It has been brilliant to be involved in the scheme that works to help support museums manage their collections properly, engage with their visitors and be governed appropriately. Our mentor Katherine Ashton has extensive experience working in museums including her current role at Bassetlaw Museum and has gone above and beyond to support us on our journey, we cannot thank her enough. Katherine has shared her wealth of knowledge throughout the whole process and we look forward to continuing our partnership into the future.”
Emmie Kell, Director Museums and Cultural Property at Arts Council England said: “We’re delighted that the Gainsborough Heritage Association has been successful in gaining their Accreditation status. This means that their Collections will be looked after and maintained offering inspiration, enjoyment and learning for the local community and visitors to enjoy now and in the future.
The Gainsborough Heritage Centre located at the Old Post Office building on the corner of Spital Terrace and North Street is open every Tuesday and Saturday from 10am till 4pm, costing £3 per person with free entry for our members. Support the future of our Centre by purchasing a membership for only £15 a year.
