Museum secures £25,000 grant to preserve Second World War collection

The Little Elborow Street venue was awarded the grant from the Victory 80 Fund, launched by the Government to mark this year's 80th anniversaries of VE Day (8 May) and VJ Day (15 August).

The fund aimed to support museums across the country to commemorate the milestones, with Rugby Art Gallery and Museum one of only three museums in the Midlands to secure a grant.

Now the museum plans to enhance and expand its handling collections of Second World War and post-war objects to build on the success of the recent Good Times Roadshow, which visited care homes in the borough during April to hold a series of VE Day-inspired art workshops.

Thanks to the Victory 80 grant, the museum plans to take the roadshow to hospitals, care homes and hospices to hold weekly sessions with adults living with dementia, while also developing different sessions tailored for other hard-to-reach audiences, including neurodivergent children and adults living with blindness or visual impairment. 

In addition, the grant means the museum can improve the storage and care of Second World War objects from the handling collections, and provide staff with training from the Alzheimer's Society to strengthen skills across the team.

The grant also looks set to fund research into the handling collections and the impact of national, post-war recovery efforts on the borough - notably the founding of The Rugby Collection of contemporary British art in 1946 and how the war influenced the work of artists featured in the collection such as LS Lowry, Stanley Spencer and Leon Kossoff.

Phoebe Hilton, Rugby Art Gallery and Museum's senior learning and engagement officer, said: "The Victory 80 grant allows us to expand and enhance the work of the Good Times Roadshow, while also revitalising our Second World War handling collections and preserving the objects for future generations.

"The roadshow allows us to work with adults living with dementia in their care setting, with the handling collections serving as a starting point for conversations and reminiscence, and the Victory 80 grant means we can now also develop Second World War-inspired sessions for different audiences."

The Good Times project was launched nearly a decade ago and currently runs once a month at Rugby Art Gallery and Museum. 

The sessions aim to tackle loneliness and increase social interaction, and have been specifically designed for adults living with dementia and their carers. 

Cllr Maggie O'Rourke, Rugby Borough Council portfolio holder for partnerships and wellbeing, said: "The Good Times has been a ground-breaking project and the Victory 80 funding means we can deliver more sessions directly to care settings while preserving our Second World War and post-war handling collections.

"We're delighted Rugby Art Gallery and Museum was one of only three museums in the Midlands to receive a £25,000 grant, a fitting achievement in its 25th anniversary year."

The Victory 80 Fund was awarded by Museum Development Midlands on behalf of Arts Council England using public funding from the Department for Culture, Media and Sport.

Cllr Neil Sandison, Rugby Borough Council's Liberal Democrat group spokesperson for partnerships and wellbeing, said: "I'm very pleased we have received this grant. 

"Many 'ordinary' people did some very extraordinary things to protect and defend our world during the Second World War, and their contribution should be remembered and celebrated for years to come."

For more information about the Good Times, visit www.ragm.co.uk/good-times