We recognise that Local Authority (LA) Museums sometimes ‘fall through the gaps’ for support, and funding in particular. On this page you will find various sources of support, funding opportunities and advice on how to advocate for your investment to your Authority.
Support
The Local Government Association (LGA)
The Local Government Association (LGA) is a key source of support for LA museums, whose role is to act as the national voice of local government, working with councils to support, promote and improve local government services.
Find out more about the Culture, Tourism & Leisure department
Read ‘Leisure under lockdown’ Case Study
The LGA recently published a report setting out the current key lobbying lines and sector statistics across the remit
of the LGA culture, tourism and sport board in September 2020, which may help museums lobby for support under the following headings:
- Great places: how cultural organisations provide a valued service to communities.
- Economic impact: economic benefits of cultural and tourism services.
- Online/offline: virtual Vs physical premises based delivery models.
- Social prescribing: the importance of culture and leisure for communities’ health and wellbeing.
The LGA published a useful handbook for Councillors titled ‘Making the Most of your Museums’ in July 2019, which could prove a useful tool when advocating for your museum service.
Arts Council England
The Arts Council commissioned a piece of research to explore the key challenges facing LA museums, and to form an understanding of how resilient they are likely to be in the face of continued cuts to public funding.
The report was published in 2015, but many of the findings relate to current circumstances facing LA museums.
The English Civic Museums Network
The English Civic Museums Network commissioned research into the benefits of LA museums and their potential options for the future in 2018. Titled ‘The Future of Civic Museums: A Think Piece’, and although published pre-Covid-19, it offers some useful insights into the relationship between a place and its people, and the role of civic museums.
Thinking of moving to Trust status?
The Museums, Libraries and Archives Council (MLA) produced a helpful guide on moving to Trust, which although published in 2006 may still be of assistance to LA museums today.
Moving to Trust Part One (PDF)
Renaissance Yorkshire also published a guide on considering the options around moving to Trust which may be helpful.
Funding
Heritage Funding Directory
Managed by The Heritage Alliance and the Architectural Heritage Fund, the Heritage Funding Directory is a free guide to financial support for anyone undertaking UK related heritage projects. This is a useful starting point for navigating funding sources in the sector detailing sources of grants from trusts and foundations, as well as organisations offering loan finance, awards, scholarships and other ‘in kind’ resources.
Visit the Heritage Funding Directory here.
South East Museum Development
You can stay up to date with the latest news about our grants programme for all South East museums on our grants page.