2014 June - Narrow Gauge Railway Museum Accreditation Renewed

Certificate presentation ceremony at Wharf


Volunteers, Guests and Friends of the Narrow Gauge Railway Museum gathered at the museum in Tywyn on 4th June for the presentation of the museum’s updated Accreditation Certificate.

The certificate was presented by Linda Tomos, Director of CyMAL, the Welsh Government’s Museums Archives and Libraries division. Guest of honour at the event was Veronica Chambers, daughter of the late Reverend Wilbert Awdry. The Awdry family have long been keen supporters of the museum.

Accreditation is a voluntary, UK wide scheme for museums. It is managed by Arts Council England, and administered in Wales by CyMAL.

The Accreditation Standard requires museums to play an active role in their communities by encouraging learning, understanding and participation. Accreditation is therefore an important part of the Welsh Government's Museums Strategy for Wales. Accreditation status is a key factor for CyMAL in deciding the allocation of grant funding to museums in Wales.

Qualifying museums need to be long term organisations which are run for the benefit of other people - not just for the people involved in the museum. To do this, the museum must:

• do everything it can to preserve and protect items in its care
• help people to benefit from, see and understand its collections
• be a “public body’ - it cannot be privately owned or run for personal financial gain

The Narrow Gauge Railway Museum, following its move to the new museum building in 2005, first achieved Accredited status in 2010. Museums that are already Accredited are periodically required to provide evidence that they continue to comply with the Accreditation standard through its periodic review process, and the current award confirms that the museum meets the revised standard introduced in 2011.

Congratulations to the Narrow Guage Railway Museum trustees and volunteers for all their hard work towards retaining Accreditation.

Photograph depicts (left to right): Keith Theobald (Chairman of Museum Trustees), Linda Tomos (Director, CyMAL), Veronica Chambers, Bran Owen (Museum Trustee), Carol Whittaker (Museums Development Officer, CyMAL).

Thanks to Don Newing for the article and photo