“It’s the little things that make someone’s day a little easier when they come here.'
“However, I think it’s also the welcome that staff provide, the range of displays that we have and how we interpret them that appeals to visitors of all ages. It’s very interactive; parts of the museum are what you might call play areas and the digital interaction on offer through the use of touch screens and videos is appealing to older children.”
He adds: “When you compare it with other museums, not many have such strong links with the local community. The fact that it was developed less than ten years ago also gives it an immediacy as recent generations of residents were involved in creating the displays. The centre is shortlisted under the Best Accessible Museum category. Ally continues: “We’ve really focused on accessibility issues, so it’s great to be nominated in that category. We offer lots of child friendly activities, such as our dress up area and role play market stall, so that children can learn through play. We have an under fives group, the Teeny Time Travellers Club, that meets weekly for themed stories and sensory activities.
Its chief executive officer, Matthew Wakefield, explains: “We have to do the same things as the larger national museums, but we don’t get the financial support to do that. Everything is done in-house, from graphic design right through to restoring the building, so it’s absolutely amazing for us to make the shortlist.”
Matthew and his colleagues have worked closely with the Autism Centre for Sheffield to give people with autism work experience opportunities at the museum. They’ve also introduced a ‘quiet hour’ from 4pm to 5pm on Fridays for people with additional needs. He explains: “We love that we use smoke and smells in the museum, but people with certain sensory needs sometimes want the lights on and not to be overwhelmed by different effects.
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