Experts help county museums bring in more visitors to area

The project has been launched in Hambleton and Richmondshire and will see two consultants working with 10 independent museums to provide curatorial advice, networking support and emergency planning.

The initiative will run until March next year in an attempt to ensure the venues make the most of their resources and exhibits to bring in more visitors.

In Richmondshire alone, the tourism industry is worth 184.5m annually to the local economy, supporting more than 4,500 jobs in the peak season.

Among the museums which are being offered help are the Green Howards Regimental Museum, the Georgian Theatre Royal and Richmondshire Museum, which are all in Richmond.

Kiplin Hall, Bedale Museum, the Captain Cook Schoolroom Museum in Great Ayton and the Dales Countryside Museum in Hawes as well as Shandy Hall in Coxwold, Thirsk Museum and the World of James Herriot in Thirsk are also included in the project.

Richmondshire Council culture and well-being manager Jo-Anne Simpson said: "We recognise the valuable contribution that the museums make to the cultural landscape of both districts.

"We want to and enhance maintain this contribution, which is why we have decided to launch the scheme to offer the additional support." The 28,000 project is being overseen by the two district councils and Renaissance Yorkshire, which is part of the Museums, Libraries and Archives Council's project to transform England's regional museums.