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Torquay Museum is facing the prospect of having to close its doors for good after receiving proposals to cut grant funding by 42% for 2015 and 2016. The cuts would reduce their grants by £20k, totalling £40k after an already agreed upon reduction of £20k in February of this year. Torquay Museum shares its grant with Brixham Museum, although both museums make a lot of their income from trading, the remainder is made up from the council grant.
The Future Museums Project, funded by the Arts Council, is looking at how both of the museums and Torre Abbey can potentially join together to share resources and make them more sustainable. This project would mean substantial benefits for the museums in the future, however, the impending reduction of grant income to the museums could lead to their closure before the project can see any success.
Torbay Council announced their £14m Savings Proposals with many proposed service changes being been put forward to see that their meet their target, however in doing so they are leaving both of the museums in desperate times. The proposal will continue to be consulted until 29th August 2014. The results will be given to the Mayor and Councillors during September, before a final decision will be made.
The museum is trying to reverse the decision, and save the historical building from closure in the process, by asking local residents to register their opposition to the proposed cuts with Torbay Council. If you would like to support Torquay Museum, you can fill out this questionnaire and state why you think the grant reductions should not come to pass and what effect the reduction would have on the community. You can also keep up to date with their latest news and how the campaign to reverse the decision is going over at their Facebook page.
Torquay Museum cares for and showcases various collections of both international and local importance. The museum receives on average, over 30,000 visitors each year and it is an important part of the local tourism trade. It houses the UK’s only Agatha Christie gallery, acts as an educational resource for local children and houses a multitude of exhibits of interest. Please take the time to visit the museum this summer, or check out their website, so that you can see this wonderful place really is worth saving.
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