Sidmouth and Bridport Museums Open Doors Susan Eddisford Community Museums Officer, Devon

Aims To enable Bridport and Sidmouth Museums to develop sustainable, alternative economic models allowing them to offer free admission to all visitors To further raise the strategic profile of museums along the Jurassic Coast

Funding £9,000 for Marketing Retailing Income generation Project management (Sidmouth) £10,000 Guarantee against loss

Marketing

Retailing Consultant advice on: Shopfittings Display Stock Pricing

Retailing

Income generation Consultant recommended Donations box Signs Gift Aid Sponsorship

Results: Sidmouth Museum visitors April May June July August September October Total4,15513,321

Results: Sidmouth Museum income Ticket sales 08Shop sales 08Donations 08Shop sales 09Donations 09 April May June July August September October Total£3,369£1804£932£3,075£4,631

Open Doors “The support we’ve received made a huge difference because it’s given us a kick start to do things we were thinking about but didn’t know how to do or didn’t have the money for. Some of the things John Prescott, the retailing consultant, suggested were just WOW impact, such as the signage and what we buy for the shop – it made me braver. being a small museums we couldn’t implement everything but we moved along such a lot last year.” Christine Bull, volunteer shop manager, Sidmouth Museum

Legacy Enthused volunteers Raised profile with trustees Interest from other museums Continuing success