Cwmbran Community Council Cyngor Cymuned Cwmbrân
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Cwmbran Community Council Cyngor Cymuned Cwmbrân Committee: Policy & Finance Committee Date: 13th June 2016 Report Author: Administration Officer Event attended: Torfaen Museum Trust Seminar Date of Event 25th April 2016 Event Attended by: Councillors M Johnston (in the Chair), Councillors SWJ Ashley, SJ Brooks, LJ Chaney, S Evans, R Jones, KK Manneh, TA Matthews, D Standing, W Walker and TJ Winter Also Clare Facey (Administration Officer) Introduction 1. This report provides members with brief details of the above Seminar which took place at The Council House. Deborah Wildgust & Sue Allford, Curator & Trust Administrator of Torfaen Museum Trust attended and reported the following to members. 2. Background Torfaen Museum Trust was established in 1978 as an independent Charity. In 1980 the Trust was granted a long-term lease by the Council for Pontypool Park Buildings and they were moved from Blaenafon to the new Pontypool Museum. Since then all the main collections have been stored and displayed at Pontypool Museum, even though they hold the history of the whole valley. Since then, they have been used for education and enjoyment purposes. The Mission Statement of the Trust is “to preserve, interpret, disseminate and celebrate local culture and bring the culture of other communities to the communities of Torfaen and beyond.” The collections that Torfaen Museum Trust collect, safeguard and make accessible are the material culture and associated ephemera and information relating to the history, archaeology, geology, social and industrial histories, art, craft and ecology of Torfaen County Borough Council. The work of the Trust’s staff and volunteers is known well beyond the Valley boundaries, nationally and internationally and offers a wealth of experienced Officers and Trustees within the charity museum sector and showcases both the Welsh identity and the role of Torfaen in the nation’s history – successfully promoting Torfaen and its history to the world. The Trust also engages with and supports the Welsh Government and local authority strategic aims and initiatives particularly, tackling poverty through culture, through employment, training and work placement opportunities in the sector. It has a Nationally recognised volunteer base, is a Nationally Accredited Museum and an Accredited Attraction (Visit Wales.) In 2010, The Trust received £110,000 in core funding from Torfaen County Borough Council £2000 from Pontypool Community Council, £1000 from Cwmbran Community Council, £1000 from Croesyceiliog & Llanyrafon Community Council and was able to employ four full-time museum officers and open seven days a week. This year, even though costs on everything have risen, the Trust is only receiving core funding of £76,400 from Torfaen County Borough Council. With £1,315 from Cwmbran Community Council and an unconfirmed contribution from Croesyceiliog & Llanyrafon Community Council. However, Pontypool Community Council have increased their annual contribution to £5000 and this ensures that the museum can remain open on Saturdays all year round (giving free admission to Pontypool Community Council’s residents). The Trust can now only afford one full time and one part time officer and has to close to the public as a cost-cutting exercise on Mondays, Fridays and winter Sundays. 3. The Services The services that Torfaen Museum Trust delivers at Pontypool Museum are:- Guardian of the Torfaen Borough’s collections with over 15,000 artefacts including £660,000 worth of fine and decorative arts and £590,000 worth of irreplaceable, historical, valley-wide related artefacts. Valley-wide local artefacts preserved for future generations. Accredited Museum to National Standards. Accredited Tourist Attraction with VisitWales. Services and facilities provided based on Torfaen collections’ promotion and educational use. 35,000 – 45,000 community citizens and visitors to the area annually use the services and facilities of the Trust. Provides services that focus on the Welsh Government initiative ‘Fusion: Tackling Poverty through Culture.’ 51% of 2014-15 annual funding raised by the Trust – for every £1 given in core- funding by Torfaen County Borough Council another £1.05 was fundraised via community funds and in-house by the Trust. The Trust provides volunteering opportunities for local residents (currently 2) for the local community. The museum’s library and archive volunteers were the Welsh National winners of the Marsh Awards for Volunteering UK in 2014. Between 800 and 2000 local primary school children attend workshops annually. 145,000 Pontypool Museum social media hits and engagements for 2014-15. Over 1,000 enquiries and requests for information on the Valley and local are answered by the museum staff and volunteers in 2014-15. A safe environment for the elderly, people with health issues, small children and families. Last year over 3,500 local citizens of all ages and abilities used and visited the museum in groups. 100s of local, Borough-wide supporters with individual, Family or Corporate Membership of the Trust. 4. Current & Future Plans & Projects Dobell-Moseley Library & Archive: The Trust has a large collection of local studies books, papers, documents, newspapers and photographs from all over the Borough and is currently in receipt of a grant to purchase equipment for the volunteers to digitise the collection. Treasure Trove – there are currently several finds and hoards from the Valley (including south of the valley) in the British Museum undergoing scrutiny – which are destined for the Trust (subject to fundraising). History of Video Gaming Exhibition with the National Museum – current planning is ongoing for a partnership exhibition to be shown at the museum and the National Museum sites to attract and engage with new audiences including young people. Childhood Gallery – the Trust has a unique and varied collection of childhood memorabilia, games, toys and nursery items and is planning to develop this in the future to have a Gallery of Childhood and accompanying educational workshops (subject to fundraising) Keeping Open! – It’s the Trust’s main objective for the next few years, to consolidate and review its collections, services, facilities and sustainability including where the museum’s collections should be housed. 5. Further Support The main objective of the seminar was to ask the Council if the Members would consider supporting the Torfaen Museum Trust further. Options include further financial support from the Council; asking individual members for their support through membership costing £15 per person; or supporting by way of a project or similarly to the way in which Pontypool Community Council has funded this year. 6. Supplementary Observations A supplementary report arising from the seminar, prepared by Councillor TJ Winter, who represents the Council on the Trust, is attached. 7. Members are asked to consider the report and the issues arising. Museum Seminar 25 April 2016 – Report of Councillor TJ Winter The message coming across from various meetings I have attended at the museum suggest that unless core funding is restored to more sustainable levels, the museum will probably no longer exist. (The austerity measures are likely to continue for some time.) I believe Cwmbran Community Council have always exercised principled of prudence and good stewardship in its spending, and that ‘outside organisations have been enriched by the core funding the Council has provided. Helping various organisations has added a real enrichment, quality and benefit to local life and wellbeing. I know I have already expressed how strongly I feel that funding the museum is so important for future generations and under the “Wellbeing Act” should be considered a priority. I have also requested in the past that meetings be arranged with other Community Councils within Torfaen to address the issue. Section 137 is an ‘enabling’ and responsive power which, in effect, frees local councils to broaden its horizons and recognise that many events and services, although not within our local community, can still benefit the present and future population. The Trustees of the museum are making various contingency plans to address the crisis facing them, but are reaching the situation where there seems to be little hope for the future. The devolution we are already seeing is giving Community Councils the opportunity to engage more in what is happening at our level, and gives us greater opportunities to deliver services and above what is currently available. .