[P]enrith and Eden Museum’s application to Arts Council (England) for renewal of its Accredited Museum status, last awarded in 2013, has been successful.
With just under 1,800 museums participating, the Accreditation Scheme is the national quality standard for museums and galleries and has led the way in raising standards in the UK, and has been used as a model and source of inspiration.
The Accreditation Scheme encourages museums to reach minimum levels in:
- Museum management
- User services
- Visitor facilities
- Collections care
- Provides a benchmark for grant-making bodies and Sponsors and donors wishing to support them
The Scheme requires applicants to adhere to a code of ethics, it fosters public confidence in museums as institutions which hold collections in trust for society and which manage public resources. The Scheme encourages innovation and improvement through the use of materials and resources produced by the Arts Council and its partners relating to the care of collections, access, learning, inclusion and diversity.
Another benefit is that it allows qualifying museums to benefit from the provision of the Treasure Act 1996. When finds are declared Treasure by a coroner they must be offered to an accredited museum to acquire. Penrith and Eden museum has benefited from this arrangement several times in recent years.
Dr Sydney Chapman, who shares the curatorship of Penrith and Eden Museum with Corinna Leenen, said: “The award is not a static, but an ongoing process, requiring not just the documentation and care of the collections, but how they are used and leading us to review our work in line with new expectations and developments.”
Entry to Penrith and Eden Museum is free. For more information about events and exhibitions visit www.eden.gov.uk/museum
