Kegworth Heritage Centre

In July 2025 we submitted our return to the UK Arts Council to establish whether we met the requirements for Accreditation. This involved sending a number of documents through an electronic portal which were then assessed against the Accreditation Standard by a panel of museum experts. This was followed by a site visit in October where our lead assessor came to visit, look around KHC and discuss some additional issues and verify that we really did exist and could show them the evidence! Finally, the decision panel met on the 5th of February 2026 and on 19th February 2026 we received the news that we had achieved Full Accreditation.

Kegworth Museum was previously accredited in 1995 and renewed in 2010 but in February 2013 the committee decided not to continue with the accreditation programme. After 2018 when a new board was appointed, there was a split in opinion as to whether to pursue accreditation under the new scheme and the idea was left on the back-burner.

In 2020, when the current board took over KHC, it was unanimously agreed that we should enrol in the new "Working To Accreditation" Programme and since then we have been diligently working in the background to rebuild all our documentation, policies and processes to meet the requirements of the standard.

It has been a huge amount of work, but we believe that small, volunteer run museums like ours will be at huge risk in the future unless they have achieved this recognition.

Now it is up to us to build on this and maintain the momentum to continue to improve and ensure that we retain our status ready for the next assessment in 2031.

The UK Museum Accreditation Scheme, managed by Arts Council England, is the national quality standard for museums of all sizes and types. It sets out clear, practical requirements for how museums manage their collections, care for visitors, engage with communities, and operate as a sustainable organisation.

Accreditation is a voluntary scheme, but it offers vital recognition, demonstrating that a museum meets national standards for professionalism, governance, and public service. For small, volunteer-led museums, it’s a powerful tool that helps secure funding, build trust with audiences, and ensure long-term resilience and impact.

1️⃣ Credibility and Reputation

• It shows we meet national standards in caring for collections, governance, and public service.
• Builds trust with visitors, donors, funders, and partners.
• Tells the world: 'We’re serious about what we do!'

2️⃣ Access to Funding

• Many funders require or prefer museums to be accredited (e.g., Heritage Fund, MDM).
• Opens doors to grants for collections care, learning projects, and capital works.
• It will help us access funds from trusts and philanthropy groups currently closed to us

3️⃣ Professional Standards and Future-Proofing

• Helps us improve our policies, procedures, and documentation.
• Ensures our collections are properly managed and safeguarded for the future.
• Makes the museum more resilient and ready for whatever comes next.

4️⃣ Support and Networking

• Links us into a network of accredited museums for advice, training, and shared projects.
• Gives access to Museum Development support and sector expertise.

5️⃣ Boost for Volunteers and Trustees

• Guides our team with a clear framework for decision-making and best practice.
• Helps us recruit and retain volunteers by showing we’re a respected organisation.

6️⃣ Increased Public Confidence

• Visitors know they’re supporting a museum that’s committed to high standards.
• Helps us grow audiences and make a bigger impact in the community.