Museum fighting to keep its doors open
Establishment’s future is in the balance due to shortfall
A threatened museum in Windsor is prepared to do ‘whatever’s needed’ to save it from closure according to the chair of a campaign group fighting to keep it open.
Windsor Museum and Tourist Information Centre in Windsor Guildhall faces an uncertain future due to a shortfall in its budget and has come under scrutiny as the council looks to address its balance sheet.
At Tuesday’s cabinet meeting, in which the 24/25 budget was discussed, acting chair of Friends of the Royal Borough Museum campaign group and volunteer at the museum, Gerald Hyder, discussed the challenges it faced.
Mr Hyder said: “The museum faces a £90,000 cut in its budget, which is currently at £100,000 over the next two years, because they failed to achieve their income target of around £18,000 last year.
“Most of that cut will be front loaded in the coming year and by next year their income will have reduced to about £10,000 a year.
“Yes - that’s a 90 per cent reduction.”
An information centre was added to the museum space in June 2022, but the addition meant it was unable to charge visitors for admission.
Whilst this had enabled the museum to increase footfall, Mr Hyder said that prior to this introduction and the COVID pandemic – it had achieved its targets.
To improve financial viability he said a ‘bold and ambitious’ plan was underway to maximise income including encouraging more school visits and increasing sponsorship revenue.
There is also the potential that it may move to trust status – where it finances are managed by a separate body – in the future.
However, Mr Hyder added: “There must be an acceptance that the museum is unlikely ever to be cost effective if it costs £100,000 - but there is potential there, there’s a willingness to do whatever’s needed.”
Councillor Josh Reynolds (Lib Dem, Furze Platt), Cabinet member for communities and leisure said: “How was it ever expected that the museum was to generate income from admission fees when they [The previous Tory administration] removed its ability to charge admission fees?
“I don’t understand and I don’t think anyone can square that circle – it doesn’t make any sense.”
He added: “We are having conversations with local businesses and with charities to see what we can do to help explore those alternative models of delivery.
“It might be the case that the museum moves into a different location in a different form and a different way.
“- And that’s what we need to establish to get those roots together to see what we can do and what’s possible.”
News of the museum’s potential closure last month sparked a campaign among residents to keep it open and a petition to save the museum has been organised.
It can be viewed online at: tinyurl.com/58z939yz