Don’t forget the gems we have on our doorsteps

As the prospect of a second national lockdown looms, businesses and organisations are still struggling to cope with the financial impact of the first one. And so it has been for museums everywhere – from world-beating establishments to small provincial affairs.

Stripped of their ability to create any income from visitors thanks to the coronavirus pandemic, the last six months have been devastating.

The National Museum of the Royal Navy is the latest to announce that it has launched a consultation on redundancies.

Since being able to reopen, the charity’s bases, including sites in Portsmouth and Gosport has had to enforce strict social distancing rules – all of which have an impact on the numbers they are allowed to admit.

Director-general of the museum Professor Dominic Tweddle is right to highlight the efforts of their hard-working staff and the achievements of the last six months – LCT 7074, the walkway under HMS Victory, the soon-to-open Diving Deep exhibition about HMS Invincible and the renewed partnership with the Mary Rose Museum.

But none of this can hide the significant financial hole they find themselves in. And with little chance of visitor numbers bouncing back even to pre-Covid-19 levels this year, let alone enough to make up the shortfall, it is a harsh reality that job losses are looming.

would not want to see a single job lost because of this, but we recognise the difficulties the charity faces.

We as a community are excellent at recognising the history and heritage we have here on our doorsteps – witness the crowds who turned out to watch LCT 7074 move to its new home at The D-Day Story.

As with so many things, it may well be a case of use it or lose it.

And we will definitely miss the National Museum of the Royal Navy if it’s gone.