Struggling museum to receive vital one-off payment

Twm Owen Local Democracy Reporter

A struggling museum is set to receive a vital one-off payment to safeguard some of its most important historical treasures.

It will be the second “one-off” cash injection awarded to the free to enter Pontypool Museum in two years after Torfaen Borough Council, which provides it with an annual grant of £50,000, previously handed it an additional £25,000.

The cash is being provided to support the museum trust’s medium-term plans for “improved financial sustainability” and to avoid it having to close down as it has struggled to generate additional income or reduce costs.

Closure would leave the council responsible for the local historic artifacts, known as the county collection, currently held on its behalf by the museum, also known as Torfaen Museum, and based at Pontypool House in Pontypool Park.

A report for the council stated the one-off contribution of £20,000 “would be less than the expected costs of assessing and maintaining the county collection based on the assessment undertaken in the 2010s”.

The report described the collection as “a curated group of artifacts, or objects that originate from and are connected to the county borough highlighting its local history and heritage” and “a significant heritage asset with the potential to support education, tourism and community engagement.”

But it said the museum trust, which is an independent charity, is facing financial pressures “due to rising costs and a challenging grant funding environment nationally”.

It employs a curator to manage the collection and relies on membership, sales, and charitable grants for income which require it improve cultural awareness, grow the number of volunteers, and enhance the school curriculum and educational opportunities for Torfaen residents, placing additional staffing requirements onto the trust.

If the trust was to close the museum collection would be returned to the council which would have to assess which assets should be “ethically released” to other cultural venues, and which would need to be kept in storage.

The payment, which has to be approved by the council’s Labour cabinet member for the economy, Councillor Joanne Gauden, is being made available from a reserve in the council’s Economy and Place directorate.

The report stated doing nothing would leave the trust “unable to meet its current financial obligations resulting in the trust having to cease trading” while a permanent increase in council funding would require a reassessment of budgets in the directorate and money shifted away from other council priorities.

The report said that option also wouldn’t address the trust’s problems raising revenue and reducing costs but in conjunction with the additional grant officers and councillors will meet with the trust board “to assure that all viable measures to improve financial sustainability are being considered and implemented at pace”.

The museum is open from 10am to 12noon on Tuesdays, from 10am to 4pm on Wednesdays and from 1pm to 4pm on Saturday’s and entry is free.