Vox pop

“Is trust status the answer for cash-strapped local authority museums? Not if being strapped for cash is their defining characteristic! Trust status alone is neither the salvation nor the sin bin of the sector in times of economic frugality. A poorly drafted contract between a newly formed trust and a local authority will never enable a museum to blossom.

If, however, the local authority embraces the benefits of independence and is prepared to relinquish control, then the granting of trust status can be a turning point. The key issues are clarity of expectation, degree of independence and likely pace of change. With these resolved, the lack of dowry is unlikely to ruin the partnership.”

“Trust status allows museums to act creatively, assertively and independently in response to funding reductions. It is not the panacea for all financial worries – indeed many new ones emerge running an independent business and charity. And it is absolutely the wrong answer for a struggling museum whose relationship with the local authority has broken down.

But with a carefully developed funding agreement and, even more importantly, the right relationships with the local authority (they have to want it to succeed as much as you do), the freedom to think differently and to take charge of your own destiny can make it a very positive answer indeed.”

“Recent research suggests that trust status is broadly cost neutral and, in any event, it takes considerable time, effort and investment to implement. Therefore it is not the panacea that some in local government imagine it to be. Its benefits come into play only after time has elapsed.

The real answer to the immediate problem is putting forward creative cost-cutting recommendations in areas such as centrally imposed costs (central establishment recharges, privatised building management charges, excessive overtime payments); museum controllable costs (operating unnecessary air conditioning, opening when few people want to visit, for instance after dark in winter); unprofitable trading and simply trying to do too much with limited resources.”

“Museums need diverse and sustained income streams and trust status does not automatically make organisations entrepreneurial. The resilient museums will use their assets most creatively, so I think the really sustainable trusts will be totally independent. Hybrid trusts, where the local authority retains ownership of the assets, are at a disadvantage.

As well as grants, museums need access to commercial finance so they can invest in income development. To do this they should have option to use their assets (eg, buildings) as surety. Museums should be business minded and opportunistic, while exuding progressive values and a sense of social justice. A culture of independent, social enterprise is the best way to achieve this.”