West Highland Museum has secured funding from Museum Galleries Scotland to continue its community engagement in Lochaber. The Beyond Our Walls project (BOW) will develop and build on new ways to reach people of all ages living in Lochaber, and broaden the museum’s audiences to include those who rarely visit the museum at the moment. Whilst the museum had 55,576 visitors in 2023, the majority of those were from elsewhere in the UK, or international visitors who were holidaying in the Highlands. This project aim is to bring heritage from the museum to the resident population, from young to elderly, to inspire people with the history of their region and make the museum a more relevant part of their community.
The £43,500 award will fund the employment of an Audience Engagement Officer to reach new adult audiences and a Learning and Engagement Officer to engage young learners and schools. There is also a modest budget to fund schools coach travel to the museum and other heritage sites around Lochaber, as the cost of transportation is one of the main barriers schools face for being able to take students on trips outside the classroom.
Museum director, Carrie Gooch, said, ““The West Highland Museum is delighted to be able to take forward our Beyond Our Walls project. We will employ a dedicated team to go out into our local communities and schools inspiring people with the history and heritage of this fascinating area of Lochaber, bringing groups of all ages through our doors into the museum, many of whom are coming for the first time. The West Highland Museum has a policy of free admission, so we are reliant on volunteers to stay open, this funding from Museums Galleries Scotland will enable us to further strengthen community ties and interest more people in caring for our collections for future generations.”
Lucy Casot, CEO, Museums Galleries Scotland said, “We’re delighted to support the West Highland Museum to respond to their individual context and develop a project that connects their local audience and heritage. This project reflects the strong ambition within the sector to create museums that are not only financially sustainable and attractive to visitors but that also contribute to their community.”
The museum are keen to hear from schools and community organisations who would like to visit the museum to participate in workshops, tours or other activities. The engagement team are also available to host outreach activities off site at schools and in community spaces. For more information, email community@westhighlandmuseum.org.uk
