Ten museums in Gloucestershire will benefit from a £56,800 grant from the National Lottery Heritage Fund.

South West Museum Development (SWMD) has received the money for the Rebuilding the Foundations: Gloucestershire's Museums project, running until March 2022.

The project will support ten county museums to gain skills to engage currently under-represented local communities within audiences and volunteer teams.

Museums will have bespoke development opportunities alongside sector specialists to build resilience after Covid-19 and will support one another through peer networks.

South West Museum Development works with Accredited museums across the south west of England and has continued to support museums with expert advice, grants and training throughout this unprecedented time.

Rebuilding the Foundations focuses on securing a future for museums that is engaged, relevant and sustainable. It will offer a development journey for museums to build their capacity, skills and confidence.

Museums will be able to roadmap for the future together. The ten participant museums will have access to specialist support in audience development and volunteering, as well as training, skills development and peer learning opportunities.

Participant museums will:

• Re-shape the way they work with the help of a team of specialists and local organisations.
• Involve and engage local communities currently under-represented in their heritage, audiences and volunteer teams.
• Become part of a network, developing mutual support and learning.
• Effectively use resources, to grow and strengthen Gloucestershire's museums.

Rachel Miller, audience development officer for South West Museum Development, said: "We are thrilled to have the opportunity to work with ten museums in Gloucestershire as part of Rebuilding the Foundations! This project is vital for the museums' long-term resilience.

"These museums tell incredible stories of local and national significance through their collections, bringing Gloucestershire's vibrant and fascinating histories to life.

"Museums are critical to the cultural and economic ecology of the county. Without them a huge part of Gloucestershire's heritage would be lost. We are delighted that the National Lottery Heritage Fund has given us the opportunity to support these museums at such a uniquely challenging time; and we are grateful to National Lottery players for the contribution that they make to supporting heritage projects like this one."