August Issue 2004

The AIM Bulletin is the main communication channel for the UKs 1000+ independent museums and heritage organisations - half the total provision for the British Isles - which have been in the forefront of the museum movement for over 25 years.

IN THIS ISSUE 

• AIM’s 2005 Annual Conference will be on 5-7 May in York, hosted by the York Museums Trust.
  
  
• AIM has welcomed the revised MLA Registration Standard, which has been changed into “a much stronger document with more realistic requirements” after a consultation with professionals throughout the museum world. Registration aims to increase standards of all aspects of operating a museum, and has been a most successful scheme. However a large museum with reasonable resources is much more able to meet the criteria than smaller, independent museums, and AIM has fought to ensure this is taken into account in drawing up the various revisions over the years. Page 1
  
  
• A campaign has begun to save the award-winning independent Kilmartin Hosue museum in Argyll and Bute, facing closure after failing to attract more help from the local authority. Built on the site of the first Scottish parliament and in a particularly rich archaeological area, the museum is considered a globally important resource by Tim Schadla-Hall of University College London and was a pioneering museum of its type when it opened several years ago.  Despite the fact that it brings in an estimated £1.7 million to the local economy the local authority  is lukewarm about the attraction, which has received the backing of Tony Robinson and Dr Tony Pollard, who regularly present archaeology programmes on TV.  Page 2
  
  
• AIM is continuing to lobby over the Government’s proposed removal of Gift Aid on day memberships and has met the Inland Revenue and John Healey MP, Economic Secretary to the Treasury for further discussions about retrieving the successful scheme. Further meetings are planned and in the meantime AIM vice chairman Bill Ferris says there is little doubt that AIM’s carefully framed arguments have had a major impact on the situation and led to the delay of the removal of the scheme for a further year. Page 2
  
  
• Most charity museums will have taken advantage of their eligibility for exemption for paying VAT on admission fees from 1 June.  Some found that it was not in their interests to become eligible and others found they were ineligible.  Each museum is different and the nationwide picture is very varied.  AIM is keen to hear from its members to build up a dossier on museums’ relationship with VAT for future advocacy.  Page 3
  
  
• The August issue of AIM Bulletin includes the first in an occasional series from Adrian Babbidge of Egeria on legal and administrative issues for museum trusts.  The first subject in Bottom Line is the proposed new legislation for charities.  Watch this space for more details as the bill goes through Parliament. Page 5
  
  
• Pay in the museum profession has fallen way behind comparable sectors, a recent salary survey by the Museums Association has found. Almost everyone working in museums earns less than people in comparable roles in many areas of work.  Museum curators earn 10% less than librarians and a museum education officer 42% less than a teacher, for instance. The MA is now planning a series of recommended salary levels for a range of museum jobs.  Pay is not the only issue, says AIM, whose members often struggle to pay their staff. Recruitment, retention and dedication also come into the picture. Page 7
  
  

Also in this issue 

• How the Purchase Grant Funds continue to help independent museums
• Clore Leadership Fellows announced
• Museum of Kent Life wins national Classic award
• Recovering the Climate Change Levy on fuel
• Scottish perspective on charity law changes and VAT
• Dr Simon Penn 1959-2004
• Specialist magazine boosts Distributed National Collection debate
• Museum Profile: Ashby-de-la-Zouch Museum
  
  

Plus

Information on AIM’s latest events, AIM’s Trading Survey, the Bob Harding Training Fund Bursaries and FOCUS information papers, and the two-page AIM Directory – 30+ providers of products and services for the museum sector.
Further information contacts:  Sam Mullins, AIM chairman - Tel 020 7379 6344.  Fax 020 7565 7250.   Email  samm@ltmuseum.co.uk.  Diana Zeuner, AIM Bulletin editor - Tel/Fax 01243 811364.  Email  heavyhorse@mistral.co.uk.