Hampshire County Council has introduced a governance model at two of its museums that will involve a community group running them with teams of local volunteers.

The Curtis Museum and the Allen Gallery, both in Alton, have been temporarily taken over by standalone charitable organisation the Hampshire Museums and Galleries Trust (HMGT).

It will recruit and train the volunteers, and investigate new ways to commercialise the museum and gallery, using a £22,000 council grant as well as external funding.

Hampshire County Council will continue to own the museum building and collection, but said funding cuts meant it would no longer finance in-house staffing.

Five employees have taken voluntary redundancy, while a sixth is being considered for a role elsewhere in the service. Curatorial expertise and educational services will be made available from the council’s wider museum service.

Councillor Keith Chapman, executive member for culture and recreation at Hampshire council, said: “We remain committed to providing a core professional museum service and adapting innovative ways of maintaining and enhancing access to our venues and collections.”

A council spokeswoman added that, if the new model proves successful, the running of several museums could be handed over to their local communities.

Ian Smith, director of development at HMGT, said: “Our role is to facilitate the change from direct ownership over a to a big society approach, and ensure as smooth a changeover as possible.”