BANBURY Museum has received a windfall of more than £35,000 courtesy of Arts Council England.

Following a successful application last November, the museum has been awarded the grant of £35,175 from the Arts Council’s Museum Resilience Fund.

The fund aims to change the way museums operate by making them more sustainable and resilient businesses.

Museum director Simon Townsend said: “I’m very pleased. The museum has been looking at improvements in this economic climate.”

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One of the projects funded is an asset review, which will look at how aspects of the building including the shop, cafe and room hire services are used, and how their use could be improved in line with public demand.

The project will begin on April 1 and end in October or November.

Mr Townsend added: “It will enable us to make better decisions about the future.

We have a five-year business plan that we review every year and extend.

“We hope to be here for decades.”

About 180,000 people visit the museum every year. Aided by the Heritage Lottery Fund, it relocated to the town centre in 2002.

Mr Townsend said: “It draws in visitors from Banbury and further afield and has very much of a regional punch.”

About 20 volunteers have been recruited since the museum was taken over from Cherwell District Council in 2013 by the Banbury Museum Trust, meaning it now has charity status, but the museum is now looking for more.

For information and to apply visit banburymuseum.org/volunteer