Museum Funding Background
The museum funding campaign was launched August Bank Holiday 2004. The campaign aims to secure Government funding of £1.1million per annum for the next then years to safeguard the waterways museum and the inland waterways collection. Funding is needed for day-to-day management of the collection, to address a conservation backlog that will take then years to complete and to provide free entry for all.
The collection which is housed in three museums: The National Waterways Museum in Gloucester, The Boat Museum at Ellesmere Port and The Canal Museum at Stoke Bruerne, Northants has been Designated as nationally important.
The three museums hold the world's largest collection of historic inland waterway craft. In a recent survey, nearly half the boats were reported as being in poor or very poor condition and many more are in need of restoration to bring them back to conservation condition. Despite being designated as nationally and internationally important, the inland waterways collection receives no direct government funding.
The campaign was launched at the National Waterways Festival where more than 2,000 people signed the petition supporting the campaign. Since this date many more have written to their MP stating the case for funding.
A number of well-known supporters of the waterways, including actors David Suchet and Timothy West, writer and historian Paul Atterbury, waterway pioneer and author Sonia Rolt, author and canal art expert Tony Lewery and John Fletcher, Chairman of the Inland Waterways Association are also backing The Waterways Trust. They wrote to the secretary of State, Tessa Jowell MP, asking her to take urgent action to put funding of the inland waterways museums on a par with the nationally funded Designated collections and to provide adequate support for maintenance, the conservation backlog and free entry.
October 2004
David Suchet, Vice-President of The Waterways Trust, visited the National Waterways Museum in Gloucester to rally the support of people in the South West, asking them to help the Trust by writing to their MP.
November 2004
The All-Party Parliamentary Waterways Group passes a resolution in support of The Waterways Trust: "We resolve to support The Waterways Trust in its bid to government to safeguard the waterways museums, recognising the importance of the story they tell for educational opportunity, life-long learning and their value in the development of social and economic renewal."
The Trust now has the full backing of the local MPs and a number of other MPs, the Inland Waterways Association (IWA), the Association of Waterways Cruising Clubs (AWCC) and the local waterway societies. Members of the Women's Institute, local academic institutions, local businesses and local press are also backing the campaign. A short debate, introduced by Lord Harrison, takes place in the House of Lords. This is followed up with further questions and correspondence with the Department of Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS).
January 2005
Andrew Miller, MP for Ellesmere Port & Neston, introduces an adjournment debate in the Palace of Westminster. He is supported by Parmjit Dhanda, MP for Gloucester, Tim Boswell, MP for Daventry, the Rt Hon Frank Field, MP for Birkenhead, and David Drew, MP for Stroud.
The Arts Minister, Estelle Morris, acknowledges the importance of the issue and the support the Trust's campaign had received. She says that the government has insufficient funds at present to fund the waterways museums, but invites the MPs supporting the Trust's case to work with DCMS and continue to make requests that the museums should be added to the list of nationally funded museums.
Following the debate, Roger Hanbury, Chief Executive of The Waterways Trust, pledges to continue to the campaign. This is a medium term campaign and the Trust is looking at the timetable provided by government spending reviews.
February 2005
Heritage Minister Andrew McIntosh, announces that a National Historic Ships Unit is to be launched. THE Trust welcomes the formation of the National Historic Ships Unit as a voice to champion the importance of inland waterways craft. The Trust will work closely with the new unit to ensure the interests of inland craft and is pleased that two members of the inland waterways will be on the main committee. The Trust is working on a set of criteria for the inland waterway craft.
January - March 2005
Discussions take place with the Museums, Libraries and Archives Council (MLA) who are working with the Trust to help define the funding need and to present the case to government and other fudners.
March 2005
Defra grants £25,000 to The Waterways Trust for an assessment of 35 historic boats within the collection to provide a baseline position to enable the Trust and the various stakeholders to identify the best way forward. The report will provide an assessment of the physical condition of the boats. The next step is to undertake a collections review which will assess the historical importance of the craft.
June - October 2005
The Trust works with consultants to develop the case for further funding.
August 2006
Team of independent consultants affirmed that the waterways museums have great potential and a unique opportunity to fulfil a national role utilising the national 'distribution system' - the UK's inland waterway network. the introduction of free admission would enable the museums to transform their audience reach and enable them to attract more education and local community users.
September 2006
Strategic Review and case for funding support presented to David Lammy MP, Minister for Culture.
November 2006
Funding campaign re-launched at the Trust's annual meeting which was held at the House of Commons. David Suchet called on government to provide free access to all to the National Waterways Museum.
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