Woodhorn is Family Friendly - February 16th 2011
Staff at Woodhorn were delighted to discover this week that that the popular Northumberland museum and archive is one step closer to securing the prestigious Guardian Family Friendly Museum Award with the announcement of the top twenty museums.
More than 100 museums from the tip of Scotland to the South West of England were originally nominated for the award - the biggest museum award in Britain and the only one judged by families. It is run by Kids in Museums, a visitor-led charity working with museums to make them family-friendly.
Director of Woodhorn Keith Merrin is very pleased to have made it through to the ‘long list’.
“There are many wonderful museums out there so it is a great tribute to Woodhorn and its staff, to know that people think we are very family friendly and have something special to offer. We are also very proud to be the only museum in the top 20 from the North East. Our nearest competitor is in Leeds.
“The ‘long list’ was published in The Guardian yesterday (Tuesday 15 February) and we were delighted to read the quote from one of our young visitors –“
“I liked the coal trail because mostly all the rooms had a noise in. I also liked it because I got to see what it was like back then. I got to crawl through a tunnel and experience what it was like. I liked the stables and farrier's shop since I like horses so I liked that the best." Abigail Ferguson, age 9
The original 100 plus museums nominated for the Guardian Family Friendly Museum Award were whittled down to 20 by panels of visitors, volunteers and young people. In the next stage a distinguished panel of museum experts, chaired by Jenny Abramsky, Chair of the Heritage Lottery Fund will reduce the long list to a short list and this will be announced on 19 March 2011. After that the remaining museums will undergo a mystery shopper visit and be road tested and judged by a family. The winning museum will then be revealed in April.
“We are very excited to get this far,” explained Keith Merrin, “and although we know we have some very tough competition, we do have our fingers crossed that Woodhorn will get through to the next stage.”
If you would like your family to be considered as judges for the Guardian Family Friendly Museum Award you should email award@kidsinmuseums.org.uk or find out more at kidsinmuseums.org.uk/awards.