Black Country Museum Wins Top Honour

Black Country Museum wins top honour

WW1 Greengrocers voted best in the UK at Museums & Heritage Awards for Excellence

The WW1 Greengrocers project at the Black Country Museum in Dudley has been named as the best Project on a Limited Budget in the UK, at the Museums & Heritage Awards for Excellence.

The experience involved extensive research being conducted to discover the history of the 1916 replica property at the museum. It turned out to be a former greengrocers run and lived in by a Gertrude and William Adey and their two children from 1916 until at least 1932.As part of the museum’s WW1 commemorative programme, a costumed character has been teaching visitors about the life of Gertrude.

The team behind the project, which was named the winner in the Limited Budget category at the Awards, received the accolade fromcomedian and TV personality Marcus Brigstocke yesterday (April 29th) at the Historic State Rooms of 8 Northumberland Avenue in central London.

Commenting on the accolade, BCLM Director of Marketing & Communications, Laura Wakelin said: “We're thrilled to have won a museums and heritage award for our WW1 Greengrocers. This project lies at the heart of our core values as a living history museum at the centre of our community. We've transformed a once static exhibit into a fully interactive experience for our visitors. We're particularly thankful to the adey family for allowing us to share their stories.”

Judges commented: “A very genuine, community-rooted project with real stories at its heart, which addressed the consequences of the first world war in a very authentic way.”

Now celebrating its thirteenth year, the annual Awards, created by The Museums + Heritage Show, recognise the leading lights of the heritage sector and celebrate excellence and innovation at museums, galleries and visitor attractions across the UK and Europe.

Hundreds of sector professionals joined together at the ceremony – the ‘Oscars’ of the museums and heritage industry - to celebrate the groundbreaking achievements and spectacular projects taking place in cultural attractions over the past 12 months.

Among the night’s big winners were London’s ImperialWar Museum’s WW1 galleries that walked away with the top honour of the ‘Best Permanent Exhibition’ accolade. While Michael Day, Chief Executive of the Historic Royal Palaces received the award for Outstanding Contribution by an Individual to the heritage sector.

Other 2015 winners were:Kent Life Wildlife Farm Park for Outstanding Customer Service; The Black Country Museum for Project on a Limited Budget while Renfrewshire District Council took the award for the best restoration project for its work to restore the Grand Fountain in Paisley.

The winner of the International Award was Tinker Imagineers from Rotterdam for the DOMunder archaeological visitor experience, while the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh received the Winstan Bond Trophy for Trading and Enterprise. Other winners included: The National Trust for Scotland in Partnership with Historic Scotland & Designers Bright White Ltd which walked away with the Innovations award; Oxford University Museumof Natural History took the top Marketing award and London’s Historic Royal Palace’ ground-breaking installation, Blood Swept Lands and Seas of Red was named as the best Temporary or Touring exhibition.

The winners and highly commended entries (listed below) are a reflection of the industry’s resilience. Each museum, cultural and heritage visitor attraction is recognised for its excellence - whether for an innovative and groundbreaking exhibition or for making a considerable achievement on the smallest of budgets.

The Awards are judged by a panel senior sector professionals including: Bernard Donoghue, Director, Association of Leading Visitor Attractions (ALVA), Diane Lees, Director General, Imperial War Museums; Matthew Tanner, Chief Executive of ss Great Britain, Sam Mullins, Director of the London Transport Museum, Maggie Appleton, Chief Executive, RAF Museum, Diana Owen, Director, Shakespeare Birthplace Trust and Stephen Duncan, Director of Commercial and Tourism, Historic Scotland.

2015 WINNERS & HIGHLY COMMENDED

Outstanding Contribution by an individual

Michael Day, Chief Executive, Historic Royal Palaces- WINNER

CUSTOMER SERVICE AWARD
Sponsored by BDRC Continental

Kent Life Heritage Farm Park,More than a Guest, More than a Vision, More than a Job - WINNER
The Lightbox,The Lightbox Front of House Team – HIGHLY COMMENDED

INTERNATIONAL AWARD