'Exceptional' Melton Mowbray museum receives coveted award
Staff at Melton Mowbray’s museum are celebrating after being given a special award for the quality of the service.
Melton Carnegie Museum, located in Thorpe End, has been awarded the ‘Hidden Gem’ honour after their most recent Visitor Attraction Quality Scheme assessments earlier this year.
The museum, which scored 94 per cent in the inspection carried out by representatives from VisitEngland, was hailed for it’s ‘exceptional’ visitor welcome.
VisitEngland – the nation’s national tourist board – reviews museum services as part of its national Visitor Attraction Quality Assurance Scheme (VAQAS), assessing a range of visitor experience elements including interpretation, customer service, site presentation and online presence.
The ‘Hidden Gem’ accolade was also given to 1620s House and Garden in Donington le Heath, another heritage site managed by Leicestershire County Council.
It scored 95 per cent in its review, a two percent increase from last year and was praised for having an ‘an outstanding visitor experience’ and beautifully maintained gardens.
Other ratings for Leicestershire tourist attractions included a 91 per cent for Bosworth Battlefield Heritage Centre, with the site described as ‘a fascinating and emotionally moving portrayal of one of the key moments in English history’.
Harborough Museum improved it’s score by two per cent, up to 82 per cent, with the museum highlighted by inspectors as museum ‘a perfect example of what can be achieved when a museum service is understood to be front-line public service and is valued, supported, and invested in by its local authority’.
Meanwhile, Charnwood Museum in Loughborough increased its score by seven per cent on this year’s inspection, up to 92 per cent.
Councillor Kevin Crook, deputy leader and cabinet member for heritage, said: “These are outstanding achievements, and I want to congratulate the staff at all of our heritage sites for the hard work they’ve put in to see this success.
“We are so proud of Leicestershire’s history and heritage and I’m delighted that VisitEngland have recognised how valuable our sites are in protecting and educating people on this county’s history.
“There are more exhibitions and events to come next year and I’d encourage everyone to look out for what we have on offer and take a trip to our museums and heritage centres.”
Go to www.leicestershire.gov.uk/museums to find out more about each site.