The Bakewell and District Historical Society owns and runs Bakewell Old House Museum, a unique Tudor house overlooking the Wye valley. It tells the story of Bakewell and nearby, engaging visitors to the area as well as local community groups and school groups from across the country. Guided walks and other events are also offered.
Prior to the £11,436 grant being awarded the museum operated with one member of paid staff and around 65 volunteers and opened 5 days a week. With the help of the grant the Society has been able to employ a part-time Museum Assistant, enabling the building to open 7 days a week.
The positive impact was quickly seen - with more people visiting the museum; a better events programme, improvements to the management of the collection and more weekend volunteering opportunities.
Mark Copley (Managing Curator) says:
This Community Resilience Grant has been nothing other than transformative for Bakewell Old House Museum. We have increased visitor numbers and the level of engagement, as well as developing how we work with local communities.It has given us the confidence to ensure we can build on this work in the future, and we are very appreciative of the support this grant programme has provided.
