British Association of Friends of Museums

BAFM PRESIDENT - LOYD GROSSMAN OBE, FSA

Loyd Grossman

At the BAFM 2010 National Conference in Douglas, the President, Loyd Grossman, spoke to assembled delegates about the problems that are, at the moment, facing museums, art galleries and the heritage sector in general. Many members have asked that Loyd’s reflections might be published in our Journal, so, in response, he has wrote the following for us.

Some have decided that the Chancellor’s Comprehensive Spending Review signalled the end of the recent ’golden age of museums’. Certainly the 1997 to 2010 Labour Government increased funding to museums in real terms in pursuit of a policy of widening access and this policy, combined with the enlightened largesse of the Heritage Lottery Fund, saw a major increase in museum attendance, as well as any number of capital projects. Certainly, the Chancellor’s announcement of a 15% funding cut for museums is hardly cause for celebration, although it was considerably less than the more savage cuts dealt to the likes of English Heritage.

However, press commentary tends to confuse government policy towards the nationals with the fate of museums in general. Certainly a healthy group of nationals is good for us all, but British museums are a particularly rich and varied ecosystem. Thriving local, regional, independent and university museums day in, day out, deliver knowledge, pleasure and inspiration to people in every corner of the United Kingdom. Cuts to local authority funding have already produced news of museum closures.

The reduction on funding for the nationals will inevitably make their fundraising more vital and more competitive. The philanthropic pot at the moment is only so large. How can smaller museums, with little or no money on the budget for fundraising, be on a level playing field with much larger organisations, with large fundraising teams and commensurate budgets? The nationals can and will be able to sustain most of their services and carry out most of their plans in spite of the cuts and it is right that they should continue to do so. However, cuts of 15% or more may spell life or death for many smaller museums and, until the Government takes positive action to bring philanthropy within the reach of a greater of people, many of our museums will be struggling.

Now, more than ever, the work of Friends’ groups is vital. Those of us who are proud to be Friends may steady our nerves and be determined that, even in these toughest of times, our museums must be nurtured and defended. In this, the 100th issue of the BAFM newspaper, let us rededicate ourselves to the great cause for which we have already worked so hard and with such great effect.