Date: 

Monday, 31 July, 2017

Surrey Heath Borough Council is currently running a consultation on the future of Heritage Services in Surrey Heath. 

Ideas for the future include an exciting proposal to adopt a ‘museum without walls’ approach, replacing the current fixed location with a rolling programme of temporary exhibitions at various locations across Surrey Heath - bringing local history, including our ‘hidden history’, to the heart of the community - as well as continuing the work to catalogue the collection online and extend the current outreach programmes such as schools workshops and reminiscence sessions, family activities, local history talks and walks. 

Whilst the consultation is running the permanent collection will remain on display at the museum, and therefore available to view during opening hours.  We will continue to run our heritage walks, our educational outreach programmes with local schools and other organisations, the talks programme will run as normal, research enquiries can continue to be made in the usual way and the museum shop will remain open.  Craft activities for children will be offered at key times during the year, with more information on our website as events are planned. 

Current exhibitions ‘Take Ten’ and  Ron Francis will continue until 2 September. After the exhibitions close this area of the museum will be used in a number of different ways whilst the consultation is running. It is an area that members of the public can use to drop in and chat with museum staff and volunteers to give their views on the future of Heritage Services in Surrey Heath. 

Until March 2018, when the result of the consultation is known and subsequent decision by SHBC Executive is made, it will also be used as a research and documentation lounge. Throughout the consultation we will continue to work towards Arts Council Museum Accreditation so that the entire collection is formally recognised.  

Surrey Heath Portfolio Holder for Business Councillor Craig Fennell said: “We are proud of our area’s history, and want to share the fascinating stories and artefacts with as many people as possible. Our overall aim is to raise the profile of Heritage Services in the Borough and increase engagement with the local community.”

For more information go to www.surreyheath.gov.uk/museum