Community Heritage Access Centre
Client: Somerset County Council
Have you ever wondered where a museum’s collections are stored?
The Community Heritage Access Centre in Yeovil is a working store of archaeological finds, art, industrial artefacts, firearms, documents, photographs and ceramics, all with a strong focus on Yeovil and South Somerset.
Museums, archives and heritage centres are under real pressure. Cuts to core funding, the loss of skilled staff and volunteers, and changing visitor expectations are forcing many organisations to rethink how they operate and sustain themselves for the future.
Planning Solutions was commissioned to work with the Community Heritage Access Centre to explore practical ways to grow visitor numbers, enhance the visitor experience and increase income, without compromising what makes the Centre special.
Our work included:
- A site visit and hands-on assessment of the visitor experience
- Consultation with staff
- Review of financial performance and visitor trends
- Analysis of the wider heritage marketplace
- Identification of key income-generating opportunities to support long-term sustainability
We produced a prioritised development action plan structured around three clear themes:
- Product development, improving and enriching the visitor experience
- Operational and financial considerations, strengthening how the Centre runs day to day
- Marketing, broadening appeal and reaching new audiences
Each action was prioritised, and associated resource requirements were identified to support realistic planning decisions.
A Somerset-wide perspective
As part of this project, we also reviewed six museums across Somerset. This broader analysis revealed several common challenges and opportunities shared across multiple sites, leading to a set of collaborative recommendations:
- Sharing skills, resources and professional expertise
- Joint marketing and customer research initiatives
- Collaborative buying and merchandising
- Volunteer recruitment, management and organisation
- Membership and loyalty initiatives
We also managed a small grants fund to support specific project-based initiatives, and organised a Museum Summit bringing together all participating sites to share findings, insights and examples of best practice from across the sector.
Could we help you?
If you manage a museum, heritage centre or archive and are looking for ways to secure your future please feel free to call Richard Linington on 07866 742628 or email richard@pslplan.co.uk