Trust’s Mental Health Museum receives national support

The Mental Health Museum in Wakefield has been selected as one of only 20 museums in the UK to receive support from a national scheme.

The Future Proof Museums programme is a yearlong initiative which will provide the museum with vital support from industry specialists who will share their expertise to boost the services the museum is able to offer.  Service users will also be invited to share their views about how the museum should be developed.

The Mental Health Museum, based at Fieldhead in Wakefield, will receive support from audience development specialist Andrew McIntyre. He has previously worked with museums such as the Victoria and Albert (V&A) Museum in London, the British Museum and the Tate – an organisation which runs art museums and galleries around the country.

Cara Sutherland, curator of the Mental Health Museum said: “I’m thrilled that the museum has been successful in receiving this support. It’s wonderful that our hard work over the past year is being recognised on a national scale.

“Our Trust is one of only two in the UK which runs a mental health museum so this is really a great opportunity. I look forward to working with Andrew to create a better experience for all our visitors.”

The Mental Health Museum was opened in 2014 and to date more than 3,000 people have visited the museum. It holds a range of fascinating artefacts – taking a closer look at the history of mental health care, diagnosis and treatments.

The museum is open Wednesday to Friday between 10am and 4pm. For more information about the museum visit www.mentalhealthmuseum.co.uk