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The Kegworth Heritage Centre (formerly The Kegworth Museum) is currently unable to open because of the restrictions on movement that have resulted from the global pandemic. However, we will be updating the website from time to time with information, updates and activities to help you break up the monotony of Netflix and BBC reruns.

Thank you for your continued support!

In our last message at Christmas we hinted about some news things going on at KHC, and we are now in a position where we can explain a bit more.

The last three years have been very hard for all of us engaged with trying to keep the museum in business. We managed to overcome the challenge of fixing the building and we had secured a degree of financial stability for the first time in a while. And then came the pandemic and it has taken its toll on the personal health and well being of all of our trustees.

As mentioned previously, we have been working with Leicestershire County Council and a specialist consultant in the Heritage and Arts sector to build a plan to take us forward over the next few months and build a culture of sustainable change into the operations of the Heritage Centre so that we can stop putting out fires and focus on developing the museum as an important resource for the whole community, both within the village and beyond.

Effective immediately, there have been some changes to the Board of Trustees:

• Sheila Sharpe has decided to step down from her role as Chairperson and also relinquish her position on the board. Sheila has been the public face of the museum for some years now and we are delighted that she will be continuing to support KHC as a volunteer, to help out with the collection and sharing her knowledge
• Phil Stevens has also decided that he wants to take the opportunity to focus on other interests closer to his home near Wakefield, but like Sheila will still support the centre with the photographic collection where possible, and he will still continue to run the very popular Kegworth Remembered Facebook group

This leaves the three remaining trustees to develop and execute the new plan and drive the centre forward. Ally Gill will take on the role of acting chair, John Billett will continue in his role as Treasurer, and Diane Powell will become our Liaison Officer and take responsibility for the new volunteering plan. For the time being, we will share the responsibility of running KHC as we build the foundations for the future.

All three of us recognise the enormous contributions of both Sheila and Phil, especially during the last three years, often under very difficult circumstances. At the same time we’d also like to acknowledge the work of the other trustees who have left us over the past year or two for various reasons; Anna Silina, Pat Bosworth, Tamsin Croy and Bruno Amorim.

The first part of the new plan is aimed at making the museum a safe place for trustees, volunteers and guests once pandemic restrictions are lifted and we are able to gain full access to the building to be able to work. This involves drawing up new policies and operating procedures, including any necessary COVID-19 measures. Additionally, we are building a new campaign to attract volunteers to help us get organised for a small return to business as usual this year and for the 30th anniversary of the museum in 2022. And of course, we still have the hard graft of getting the collection re-organised following months of disruption from the building work. In parallel to these activities we shall be looking at new ways to generate income, get support from other organisations and looking to better integrate with other Kegworth organisations, rather than have us all compete for the same limited resources.

As always with KHC the next few months will be a challenge. But we believe that the roller-coaster that we’ve been on for the last four years is being replaced with a different ride; one with less thrills and spills and one that allows us a steady and more predictable way forward. Our vision of making KHC a community centre that we can all enjoy and benefit from is undiminished and we hope you will join and help us make that vision a reality.