Museum gets accreditation

AFTER seeing an increase in visitors this year, Hinckley and District Museum is now celebrating another achievement - being accredited as a registered museum for the next four years.

The Arts Council accolade is the equivalent of the museum winning a gold medal at the Olympics, or an organisation reaching the gold standard in its particular field.

Ann Crabtree, chair of the museum, said: “This may seem like a small step for most people but for the museum it is a big deal.

“Our work has been scrutinised by a national body, we have met every standard put in front of us with flying colours and it’s a tribute to the museum volunteers who give collectively hundreds of hours to the cause.

“Running a museum is not a simple task but we are proving that we are up to the challenge and more.”

The standards achieved are critical to the museum seeking funding for its plans to extend facilities onto the adjacent vacant land. One of the requirements from the Heritage Lottery Fund is to achieve accreditation.

Mrs Crabtree added: “Given that the museum is also a quality assured visitor attraction by Visit England it is clear that the museum provides a great experience for visitors.

“Our 2017 displays will again be an exciting mix of the history of the area from all ages – with brand new exhibits on what the Romans did for Hinckley, three famous brewers, a forgotten local war hero and our very own Dambuster hero – Geoffrey Rice DSO.

“I encourage all those people who have never yet been to the Museum to break their duck in 2017. They will not be disappointed”.