Sittingbourne Heritage Museum has been given a £10,000 lifeline to help support it over the next few years and kickstart a new project.

The museum is one of 30 charities chosen by a panel of judges to benefit from the money as part of Ecclesiastical Insurance Group’s Movement for Good awards, which is giving £1million to good causes this year.

As well as supporting the museum over the next three years, the funding will allow the museum to launch its new project, Hands on the Past at CSI: Sittingbourne.

It is a collaboration between Sittingbourne Heritage Museum and AMTeC Heritage Science CIC/DGB Conservation.

Drawing on the expertise of archaeological conservator Dana Goodburn-Brown, the care, investigation and celebration of collections from recent archaeological sites and museums will be brought to life through engagement with people in the town and further afield.

Located in The Forum Shopping Centre, the project will establish new audiences and employment opportunities to breathe fresh life into the town centre, bringing cultural heritage to the high street.

Craft heritage workshops will be provided monthly, and the project will be open to the public at least two days each week.

Allen Whitnell, the museum’s chairman, said: “This is an opportunity for the museum to work more closely with CSI Sittingbourne and to open our collection to a new audience.

“Our collection comprises artefacts and images which illustrate the town’s industrial, social and commercial history.

“One key example will be the cache of concealed items found in the former Plough public house when it was demolished in the 2000s. This cache has aroused interest from academics around the world and had been displayed at the Ashmolean Museum in Oxford.

“We are looking forward to aligning our centre of gravity with CSI Sittingbourne and combining our strengths for the benefit of the community.”

Dana Goodburn-Brown, manager of CSI: Sittingbourne Lab, added: “We are incredibly excited to open the doors to the new Hands on the Past @ CSI: Sittingbourne project in partnership with Sittingbourne Heritage Museum.

“As an archaeological conservator, I spend a great deal of time handling fascinating artefacts, but the most important and rewarding aspect of my role is sharing my expertise of these tangible objects to connect people not just to the history and crafts of their local area but to each other.

“Thanks to this £10,000 grant, we will be able to open up the collections of Sittingbourne Heritage Museum to the community on a regular basis.”

For more about the museum, click here.

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