June Issue 2002

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

• The future of regional museums hangs in the balance as the campaign to secure funding for the regional museums framework set out in the report, Renaissance in the Regions, reaches a crucial stage.  Advocates from across the Museum world will be delivering the message to Government in the summer that museums are worth sustained revenue funding, not just occasional challenge funds.  Independent museums, “shining” examples of quality within the museum world, would be involved in the “hubs”, said Dr Stuart Davies of Resource, the Council for Museums, Archives and Libraries, which would be “beacons of excellence” and expected to cascade funding and advice to all museums, including independents in their regions.  Pages 1& 2.
  
  
• Independent museums have come a long way since Sir Arthur Drew described them as the “primordial slime of the museum world.”  Reflecting on 25 years of the Association of Independent Museums at its Silver Jubilee Conference in Sheffield, president Sir Neil Cossons said the independents’ strength lay in quality of product, leadership, professionalism and focus on the public.  It would be a tragedy if resources did not flow to those museums which had been leading the world over the last years, he said.  “If one single group of museums represents quality it is not the local authority museums nor the nationals, but the independents.” Page 5
  
  
• AIM’s survey of its smaller members – museums with less than 50,000 visitors – has provided crucial information to help AIM make a case for support for these vulnerable institutions. Extrapolating the information to cover the UK’s 1,200 independents, AIM can show that independent museums attract some 15 million visitors annually, employ some 5,000 staff, with 10,000 volunteers working in them and 200,000 associated “friends”.  They have attracted some £250 million in development money over the last five years and spend about £100 million a year.  Members proved to be generally very satisfied with the work of AIM on their behalf, but exalted the association to continue to strengthen its lobbying of Government to improve their chances of survival.  Page 9
  
  
• London Zoo’s victory in the European Court against HM Customs & Excise could mean that many museums currently paying VAT on admissions will no longer have to do so.  The legal process has a way to go yet, but the Court accepted the Zoo’s contention that as its trustees were voluntary workers with legal responsibility, the institution was a voluntary organisation per se and therefore should not have to pay VAT on admissions.  AIM is collecting information from members about its views on the subject ready for a collective response.  Page 16
  
  

Also in this issue

• Insurance premiums for museums are going through the roof
• The Patrick Collection of historic cars is likely to move onto a new site next to the Black Country Living Museum in Dudley in a joint project
• £1.5 million has been made available to promote strategic change in Scottish museums over the next two years
• A new Museums and Galleries Award is to be launched with £100,000 from the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation
• The Heritage Lottery Fund’s Your Heritage programme is looking for applicants from among museums
• Designated museums will find the criteria for the challenge funding changing over the next few years as the scheme is extended to incorporate archives and libraries
  
  

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.