Membership

Photograph of Museums Essex members gathered in a meeting room at Chelmsford Museum

About Museums Essex

We are a team of museum workers that support Essex museums, galleries and heritage organisations. Our aim is to give guidance, share knowledge, share skills and financially support museum projects with our grants scheme.

We meet with our members quarterly at museums and heritage sites across the county and support the county Museum Development Officer to deliver museum development activities across Essex. Any museum, gallery or heritage organisation in Essex can join.

To apply to join please contact our treasurer, Gordon Cummings: gcummings@fryartgallery.org

Members’ meeting dates

Museums Essex is a Charitable Incorporated Organisation, our registration number is 1152493.

Member benefits

  • Grants: We run an annual Small Grant scheme themed around different areas of museum work – members can apply for up to £1,000 a year!
  • Disaster recovery: Your membership includes inclusive membership of Harwell Disaster Recovery Service, offering free and subsidised advice, equipment, and services in the unwelcome event of a museum emergency. This includes a fast response to an incident, stabilisation of objects, restoration, access to an advice line, site attendance for collections salvage, damage scoping survey, free freezer storage and free crate hire
  • Meetings: We hold quarterly membership meetings to share knowledge, skills, host speakers and provide support
  • Group support: We support the Essex Heritage Engagement & Learning Group to deliver training around audiences and learning for our members, providing the group’s annual activity budget
  • County MDO: We work closely with the Essex Museum Development Officer (directly contributing to salary costs) to support training and development opportunities for our members.

How much?

Our affordable annual membership fees are based on gross Museum income (excluding grants) of:

  • £50 for income less than £10,000 per annum
  • £75 for income between £10,000 – £50,000 per annum
  • £100 for income between £50,000 – £150,000 per annum
  • £200 for income over £150,000 per annum

Our trustees

  • Philip Wise (chair) Colchester + Ipswich Museums
  • Caroline Pantling (vice-chair) Scouts Heritage Services
  • Gordon Cummings, Fry Art Gallery (Treasurer)
  • Nick Wickenden
  • Carolyn Wingfield, Saffron Walden Museum
  • Polly Redman, Braintree District Museum
  • Dr Sarah Demelo, Essex Collection of Art from Latin America
  • Rob Sharp, Southend Museums

Our members

Explore some of the exciting projects our members are delivering on our Projects page!

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