The Joint Museums Committee met on Wednesday 15 July 2026 to review the annual performance of Museums Worcestershire, discuss financial reports, and consider policy updates. The meeting agenda also included a report on the acquisition of the Worcestershire Conquest Hoard and the committee's future work programme.

Annual Review and Performance in 2025-26

The committee was scheduled to review the Museums Worcestershire Annual Review for 2025-26. The report highlighted that museums in Worcestershire attracted over 108,000 visitors, contributing £2.36 million to the local economy. The Designing Terry Pratchett's Discworld exhibition at the Worcester Art Gallery & Museum was noted as particularly popular. The review also detailed the museums' support for local residents' health and wellbeing, with specific mention of programmes for SEND families and care-experienced young people. The report indicated that while temporary exhibitions at the Worcester Art Gallery & Museum had an admission charge, leading to reduced visitor numbers, overall engagement remained strong compared to pre-Covid benchmarks. The Commandery saw a 13.9% increase in visitors, and the Worcestershire County Museum noted a rise in visits by children and young people. Volunteers contributed over 4,000 hours to the museum service during this period.

Quarter 4 Finance Report 2025-26

A review of the financial monitoring details for the year ending 31 March 2026 was scheduled. The report indicated a £41,974 surplus for Worcester City hosting, with £39,881 transferred to the Joint Museum general reserve. The Hartlebury Operations, hosted by the County Council, reported a £5,853 surplus. The report attributed income increases to successful exhibitions, such as the Designing Terry Pratchett's Discworld exhibition, and funding from the Museums Resilience Fund. The committee was to consider the designation of the surplus for the Learning Centre at Worcester Art Gallery & Museum, to act as matched funding for a grant pledged by the Worcestershire Heritage, Art & Museums charity.

Worcestershire Conquest Hoard

The committee was to be informed about the background and fundraising efforts to acquire the Worcestershire Conquest Hoard for the Worcestershire County Museum collection. This hoard, described as the largest Neronian precious metal coin hoard ever found in the Roman Empire, was valued at £199,895. Fundraising efforts, led by Worcestershire Heritage, Art & Museums, included an online crowdfunder and significant donations. The committee was to consider proposed grants from various funds, including the Art Fund and the ACE/V&A Purchase Grant Fund, to facilitate the acquisition. Following the acquisition, plans included a temporary exhibition in Summer 2027 at the Worcester City Art Gallery & Museum, with a view to a permanent display at the Worcestershire County Museum.

Policy Updates and Disposals

The committee was scheduled to consider updates to the Collections Care and Conservation Policy, Documentation Policy, and Access Policy, revised to align with current Accreditation standards. The report noted that Museums Accreditation is a national standard administered by Arts Council England. The committee was also to review collections, with a focus on the transport collection, ahead of remedial property work at the Worcestershire County Museum's Transport Gallery. A list of items, including several dog carts, a float, a basket phaeton, a sack barrow, a potato planter/harvester, and a dray, were to be considered for disposal due to being over-collected, damaged beyond repair, or of low research significance.

Joint Museums Committee Work Programme

The committee was to review its future work programme for 2026-27. Anticipated items for upcoming meetings included performance reports, finance monitoring, updates on major projects, and the Tickenhill Trust Annual Report. The programme is informed by the Museums Worcestershire Strategic Plan 2025-2030. Members were invited to consider any additional items for inclusion in the programme.