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15

Apr 2021

Last Updated: 15/04/2021

Three Ripon museums prepare for reopening

by Tim Flanagan

| 15 Apr, 2021
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Government funding has been a 'lifeline' during lockdown but new grant money from Arts Council England will help three heritage attractions bring tourists and day trippers back to the city.

ripon-13th-april-2021-ripon-workhouse-gardens

Three Ripon museums are preparing to reopen next month after receiving further government funding.

The Workhouse, Prison & Police and Old Courthouse museums plan to welcome visitors from May 17.

Before then, the Workhouse Museum gardens will be open until 3pm today.

Ripon Museum Trust, which maintains the attractions, has received two grants totalling £186,850 from the Government's Culture Recovery Fund, which helps cultural organisations recover from covid,

The latest grant of £69,350, announced last week, will help the trust develop digital learning for schools and reconnect with tour groups, older learners and communities.



This additional funding comes as visitor attractions and tourism destinations aim to make the most of the relaxation of lockdown restrictions and boom in staycations.

Helen Thornton, director of Ripon Museum Trust, said:

"The Arts Council's cultural recovery funding has been an absolute lifeline during a very challenging time.
"This grant puts us in a strong and positive position to reopen our museums again and welcome visitors back - which is what we love doing and what we are all about.
"It will be so wonderful having our doors open again on 17 May."


The Workhouse Museum gardens will also be open between 11am and 3pm on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays, plus Bank Holiday Monday 3 May.

To manage numbers and ensure social distancing, people should book timed ticket slots online for this and the ‘Inside Out’ Museum Trail. Visit riponmuseums.co.uk for bookings.



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Sir Nicholas Serota, chairman of Arts Council England, said:

“Investing in a thriving cultural sector at the heart of communities is a vital part of helping the whole country to recover from the pandemic. These grants will help to re-open theatres, concert halls, and museums and will give artists and companies the opportunity to begin making new work.
"We are grateful to the Government for this support and for recognising the paramount importance of culture to our sense of belonging and identity as individuals and as a society.”


Last autumn, the trust was awarded £117,500 from the Culture Recovery Fund.