The Committee received an information report about a new project Chertsey Museum was organising, working with the Arts and Healing Manager at Ashford and St Peter’s Hospital.

Officers advised that in line with the Council’s Health and Wellbeing Strategy, this project brought together heritage, health, and wellbeing.  Funding for the Museum’s project had been secured totalling £15,000 from the Association of Independent Museums, via its ‘New Stories, New Audiences’ scheme.  Some of the grant would be used to fund additional hours to the Museum’s Education Assistant post to further the project.

The Committee welcomed the concept of the new story to be told through this project which was the history of St Peter’s Hospital and the role it had played in supporting residents and being a key institution within the local community.

The new audience element of the project would, in part, come from opportunities to engage with residents and patients, not currently involved with the museum or potentially local history and heritage more widely.  For example, by the creation of a memory book by staff at the hospital and the public, the production of a piece of art by long term patients and an invitation to the local community to make a quilt to thank the NHS for their work and record the community’s memories of the Hospital.

Officers outlined the areas of focus within it and the intended project outcomes.  For example, boosting wellbeing, developing skills, using a wide range of media, and a temporary exhibition at the museum, planned for January 2025 at the project’s conclusion.

Members noted the following breakdown of the budget:

Members were informed that linked to wider determinants of health and the Council’s Strategy, a separate piece of work was being conducted by the Graduate Trainee within Community Services which involved looking at the use of Wellbeing Activation Measures.  The Committee was particularly interested in the results of this which would be brought to a future meeting of the Committee.  Members were also keen to bring this project to the attention of the Council’s Councillor representative on the Trust.

The Committee agreed this was a positive example of the partnership work being undertaken by the Museum to identify and develop new opportunities to promote local history and the heritage of the borough.  In terms of promoting the project, Members requested that the Council’s Communications team continued working with the Museum and St Peter’s Hospital so as to reach as many people as possible and encourage participation in the project.

Officers advised that a report updating Members on the Museum generally would be submitted to a future meeting of the Committee.  This would include details of plans to improve the museum’s website which some Members had experienced some difficulty with accessing the on-line activities.  This could include involvement by the Council’s bid writer to secure funding.  Issues concerning the lease and storage would also be addressed in the future report.

Officers were thanked for their report and looked forward to seeing the project come to fruition.