Museums issue £20m funding plea ahead of budget

The most at-risk local authority museum services need £20m to continue operating, the body that represents them has warned.

Ahead of next week’s budget the English Civic Museums Network has written to Chancellor Rachel Reeves saying local museums are “under increasing threat”.

“After 14 years of austerity, exacerbated by the pandemic and the cost-of-living crisis, local authorities, and in turn the museums they support, face an unprecedented set of economic pressures,” the open letter said.

“Museums in such diverse places such as Derby, Birmingham and Hampshire face a perilous financial position; the stark realities of this include wide-reaching redundancies and the imminent threat of sale of collections or closure.

“At least 15 other local authority services are at similar risk in the next 12 months – and even for those museums that have been able to secure commitments from their local councils, the road ahead remains hugely challenging.”

The network says an “emergency funding boost” of £20m would help to save the “most at-risk museums” until more sustainable long-term solutions can be found.

The budget is due to take place on Wednesday 30 October.