Conservative Council Run Museums Scoop National Award

Two Staffordshire County Council run museums have both received a prestigious award from Arts Council England (ACE).

Shire Hall Gallery and the Staffordshire County Museum, which are both managed by Conservative controlled Staffordshire County Council, received their awards for excellence in the running of the venues, managing the collections and providing a high quality visitor experience.

The ACE Accreditation scheme has been developed to align the museums with visitor expectations and both Staffordshire venues are in the first group to pass the new standards.  The accreditation acknowledged the care and documentation of the extensive collections at both museums as well as how they are providing experiences that are both enjoyable and educational.

Staffordshire County Councillor, Mike Lawrence, Cabinet Member for Community, Culture and Localism said, “This is excellent news and a real pat on the back for our staff and volunteers. Getting an award of full accreditation is not easy and it is great to see our efforts recognised.

“Staffordshire County Council is committed to developing our museums and always strives to put on the best visitor experience possible. Staffordshire is, after all, the Creative County and we want to continue giving people access to great cultural activities.”

The ACE accreditation scheme is the national quality standard for museums and galleries. There are currently just under 1,800 museums participating.

Find out more about Staffordshire’s museums at www.staffordshire.gov.uk.