Tag: Newark Air Museum

From its humble beginnings in the 1960s, when a group of like-minded aviation enthusiasts set out with a desire to own a Spitfire, over the years the Newark Air Museum has evolved into one of the UK’s leading volunteer managed aviation museums. Open to the public for forty-nine years; the museum is located just to the north of Newark-on-Trent; on part of what is the former World War II training airfield of RAF Winthorpe, which is in eastern Nottinghamshire.

Administered by Arts Council England on behalf of the UK Accreditation Partnership, Accreditation is the benchmark for well-run Museums and Galleries.

It means that Newark Air Museum is properly managed and governed to the nationally agreed industry standard and shows the museum takes proper care of its collections, sharing them with visitors and keeping them safe for future generations.

Accreditation opens up exciting funding opportunities, allows museums to host touring exhibitions and gives access to professional advice and support. It also gives confidence to donors and sponsors who may wish to support the museum in preserving heritage and inspiring future generations.

Accreditation covers museums of all types and sizes – from the smallest volunteer-run museums to national museums – and more than 1,700 museums are currently taking part in the scheme across the UK.

More information about the Accreditation scheme can be found here.

Colin Savill, Museum Trustee said: “The renewal of our Accreditation with Arts Council England has been running throughout the Covid-19 crisis and we are grateful for everyone’s support in us finally being able to secure this prestigious award.”

Liz Johnson, Director Museums and Cultural Property at Arts Council England said: “We’re delighted that Newark Air Museum has been successful in gaining their Accreditation status. This means that their Collections will be looked after and maintained offering inspiration, enjoyment and learning for the local community and visitors to enjoy now and in the future.”

www.newarkairmuseum.org

The trustees and volunteers at the Newark Air Museum (NAM) have received a fund raising boost thanks to the generosity of the British Aviation Research Group (BARG). Having been advised about the museum’s much needed refurbishment and repainting work on Avro Vulcan XM594, members of the BARG DVD Implementation Team have kindly agreed to meet the cost of the paint and associated materials.

In December 2021 the museum took ownership of Vulcan XM594 and this was undertaken in the knowledge that some significant structural repairs and repainting work was required on the huge delta winged aircraft.

During spring 2022, the museum received a letter from BARG asking if they had any military aircraft preservation projects that required financial support. In response the museum submitted an application to BARG in relation to the materials required for the Vulcan repaint.

BARG’s history dates back to the 1950s, which is longer than the museum’s. This is when a group of young enthusiast started a monthly publication reporting aircraft sightings at Blackbushe Airport (then London’s second airport). The group expanded and became a byword for military aviation enthusiasts. Eventually BARG transferred their publications and research data onto searchable DVDs, which were sold around the world. The proceeds from these sales have enabled BARG to support projects like NAM’s Vulcan repaint project.

“We are extremely grateful to BARG for their generous support of the repainting work on Vulcan XM594.” Said Newark Air Museum trustee Howard Heeley, he concluded, “Their contribution is being made as and when we purchase the paint, and it allows us to proceed at a steady pace that makes the most of the sometimes changeable British weather.”

www.newarkairmuseum.org