The museum is celebrating after receiving a National Lottery award from The National Lottery Community Fund for its ‘Museum Meet-Up’ project.
Exeter City Council’s Royal Albert Memorial Museum & Art Gallery (RAMM) will use the money to run ‘Museum Meet-Up’, a programme for local people over 50 who are facing anxiety and loneliness. In recent years, this community has been particularly affected by isolation as a result of complex factors including the Covid-19 pandemic and the skyrocketing cost of living. Although people have reported to RAMM that they would like to engage more with cultural opportunities, many lack the confidence to do so without support and encouragement. This 14-month project seeks to improve wellbeing and independence through supported opportunities to engage with cultural activities. For many people in this age group, it’s an opportunity to rebuild their own interests and identity after a period of low mood, life-changing illness, bereavement or unemployment.
The new funding from The National Lottery Community Fund, which distributes money raised by National Lottery players for good causes and is the largest community funder in the UK, will enable RAMM to continue working with a variety of community groups and a range of people. Reaching 250 participants, RAMM is delivering 12 ‘Museum Meet-Up’ sessions in the museum and three outreach sessions in community locations. These build on RAMM’s years of wellbeing experience developing a dementia-friendly programme and creating resources to support neurodivergent visitors.
The sessions offer a free, low-pressure way for people to connect with others. Facilitated by experienced creative facilitators, the 2–3-hour guided sessions include activities such as object handling, museum tours, and crafting. The aim is to build participants’ confidence so that they feel comfortable to continue engaging with culture after the project has ended, further encouraged by the distribution of café vouchers.
Participants are recruited by dedicated mentors via Wellbeing Exeter, Age UK, and GP referrals. These mentors play an important role in being community-rooted, offering a person-centred approach, and supporting anyone feeling anxious on the day. As a kind, consistent presence, they help to create a relaxed, welcoming environment. Mentors and participants in pilot projects have already shaped the sessions, and their feedback will continue to ensure the project meets their needs.
Ruth Gidley, RAMM Engagement Officer, says: “A little bit of learning, inspiration or beauty goes a long way to nourish our brains and remind us who we really are today. When people connect with objects – thinking about the places and people behind them – it often creates a feeling of being grounded on the planet and in the community. Thanks to The National Lottery Community Fund and all those National Lottery players, we can use the incredible variety of objects in our care and the knowledge we have to accompany visitors on those first steps back into a fuller life after the world has shrunk around them.”
The National Lottery Community Fund recently launched its new strategy, ‘It starts with community’, which will underpin its efforts to distribute at least £4 billion of National Lottery funding by 2030. As part of this, the funder has four key missions, which are to support communities to come together, be environmentally sustainable, help children and young people thrive and enable people to live healthier lives.
National Lottery players raise over £30 million a week for good causes across the UK. Thanks to them, last year The National Lottery Community Fund was able to distribute over half a billion pounds (£615.4 million) of life-changing funding to communities.
To find out more visit www.TNLCommunityFund.org.uk
