Taking history on the road

A PILOT project called Museum to You has been launched to increase people’s access to museum collections by taking artefacts into care homes and day centres.

Suzannah Cook and Fran Webb have partnered initially with Wells and Mendip Museum’s Search Project to try to reach care home residents and people with other difficulties who cannot physically visit venues due to issues such as additional needs, staffing shortages and costs.

Museum to You has forged links with homes including Court House, near Cheddar, Crandon Springs and Torr Wood – both in Wells – along with the city’s Lawrence Day Centre to hold informal sessions to spark people’s memories.

In the first of the events, Suzannah and Fran have borrowed photos of Wells shops from the museum’s Phillips Archive along with everyday items.

Suzannah, who lives in Evercreech, said: “We’re not doing presentations, standing in front of people, but sitting amongst them in small groups to chat and to listen to their stories and memories.”

Fran, from Bath, said the pair – who are friends – were inspired by a visit to Wells and Mendip Museum and realised other people were not so fortunate. She said: “We want it to be an immersive experience.”

Museum creator, David Walker, said: “We’re delighted to be working on this project. Anything which can open up our collections to more people to enjoy is to be welcomed.”