The Crich Tramway Village – home of the National Tramway Museum – has confirmed that have been awarded £204,000 from the latest round of funding in the Government’s Culture Recovery Fund. The money will allow staff to be brought back from furlough while also allowing for the expenditure on more items to help make the museum Covid secure when it reopens from Monday 12th April.
Amongst the items that the Crich Tramway Village now plan to purchase thanks to this funding is additions to the current ticketing system to allow for speedier processing and items such as benches, bins and signage. An additional staff member can also be employed to help with the extensive cleaning regime necessary to reopen the museum.
As Crich is an educational charity the cash will also be put towards items such as a marquee with tables and chairs to allow for external learning and group activities – allowing the museum to once again provide a learning experience for school and special interest groups. More of the museum’s collections and the site map will also be made available online and there will be the start developing a children’s book to appeal to young people and their families, exploring diversity and the value of difference.
In addition the funding will enable the expansion of cultural reach and the cultural opportunities provided through partnership working and help Crich Tramway Village to work with the local community on artistic projects and annual projects such as well dressings.
Dr Mike Galer, General Manager of Crich Tramway Village, said: “Covid 19 has presented huge challenges to the viability and sustainability of our organisation in many ways. The Museum receives no core funding from local or central government and last season we achieved approximately 60% of our normal visitors and therefore income. Neither the deficit we have, nor the financial constraints that we would have to operate under, are sustainable going forward and substantial further cuts to our operation would have been made without this grant. We are hugely grateful to Arts Council England in being instrumental in helping us to recover and reopen in the coming months.”