THE Tiverton Museum of Mid Devon Life has received (£58,700) from the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) for an exciting project "Attracting Audience, Securing our Future".

Made possible by money raised by National Lottery players, the project focuses on essential work strengthening the museum to secure its future and achieve a balanced budget. The project will start in the New Year and run until March 2018.

The project will enable the museum to buy in support to review several areas of work "behind the scenes".

This includes reviewing the museum’s business model, strengthening the governance and staff structure, and creating a new raft of plans to support the musuem’s marketing to ensure that it attracts wide audiences from the local community.

The project will develop volunteering opportunities at the museum, and trustees, staff and volunteers will all learn new skills as a result of this project.

Tiverton Museum is an award-winning and family friendly museum providing extensive displays on the history of Mid Devon.

It offers a lively events programme, including temporary exhibitions, talks, holiday activities, and themed days. It also provides a popular schools programme and provides a successful reminiscence service for older people in care and residential homes.

Commenting on the award, (Pippa Griffith, Museum Director) said: “We are thrilled to have received support thanks to National Lottery players.

"This project will strengthen the museum behind the scenes and will help to ensure that we will continue to collect and display Mid Devon’s heritage, and provide all our services to the local community, for many years to come.”

The museum is open February to Christmas and provides extensive permanent displays on the history of Mid Devon, as well as running a lively temporary exhibition programme consisting of displays put on by the museum as well as those featuring local artists and groups.

Alan Quick