News
Awards Success for Dorset Museum!
April 20, 2022
Dorset Museum had a busy day on Thursday 7th April 2022 with award wins in both the South West Tourism Awards and the Dorchester and Poundbury Business Awards.
After their Silver Award in the Dorset Tourism Awards, Dorset Museum has received the Bronze Award in the ‘Large Visitor Attraction of the Year’ category at the South West Tourism Awards. Sponsored by Love to Visit. The award recognises large visitor attractions that provide exceptional visitor experiences and demonstrate excellence across each aspect of their business.
Hosted in Exeter, the awards ceremony saw over 90 finalists from its 476 entries from the region including Dorset, Wiltshire, Gloucestershire, Bath, Bristol, Somerset, Devon, Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly.
Having reopened its doors in May 2021, Dorset Museum has recently undergone an extensive refurbishment and allows visitors to experience 250 million years of Dorset’s history.
The Museum’s Commercial Director, Roger Maughan says: ‘The team at Dorset Museum are delighted to receive Bronze for this prestigious award at the South West Tourism Excellence Awards. This recognition is a credit to our wonderful staff, volunteers and trustees.’
To add to the festivities, Dorset Museum employee Amy Moore has also been named as a ‘Rising Star’ in the Dorchester and Poundbury Business Awards. Sponsored by the Duchy of Cornwall, the award celebrates young individuals who show initiative, focus, hard work and adaptability. The Dorchester and Poundbury Business Awards promote the range and quality of businesses in the area. This was presented by world-famous actor, writer, director and TV producer, Julian Fellowes.
Amy began working at the museum after graduating from the Arts University Bournemouth in June 2021. Amy says: ‘It’s an absolute privilege to be recognised as Rising Star at the Dorchester and Poundbury Business Awards. As someone who is just starting in their career, the support I’ve had from my colleagues at the Museum has been limitless, the opportunities I’ve been given in such a short space of time have been invaluable.’
Paula Harding, who nominated Amy for the award says ‘Amy is, without doubt, a rising star. Her focus and hard work are apparent to all who meet her. We often forget how young Amy is as a result of her delivering excellent results time after time, but her youth has also helped us see how we can connect with a wider, younger, cohort and is invaluable to us in understanding where we can take the business going forward.’
Important Announcement
Friday 22 September 2023, The Victorian Hall will also be closed all day for a private function. The Fine Foundation Dorset Story Space, next the the Thomas Hardy's Dorset Gallery will also be closed for an hour around Midday.
What's on
21 July - 29 October 2023
Nature Heals | Photography by Trevor Parsons
Dorset Museum and Dorchester Arts co-present Nature Heals, an exhibition of nature photography by Trevor Parsons.
Find out more21 July - 29 October 2023
Wildlife Photographer of the Year
Wildlife Photographer of the Year, the world-famous exhibition from the Natural History Museum, is coming to Dorset Museum this summer.
Find out more4 August – 28 September 2023
The Askerswell Hoard
Discover a rare Roman coin hoard recently acquired by Dorset Museum, and find out about the work going on to preserve, research and catalogue it, in this special showcase display outside the Collections Discovery Centre.
Find out more6 October 2023, 10:00am -1:00pm,
Creative Journeys Through Time | 6 week art workshop with Helen Garrett
Designed for adults interested in art, prehistory and archaeology, and running as a six-week block, this course is an exciting opportunity to get up close with some extraordinary artefacts in the collection at Dorset Museum.
Find out more9 October 2023, 2:00pm to 4:30pm
Life Drawing at Dorset Museum – Eight-week course led by James Meiklejohn
This eight-week structured course is suitable for complete beginners to those with some experience.
Find out more10 October 2023, 2:00pm - 3:00pm
Wildlife friendly gardening | Mitch Perkins
Would you like to make your garden more wildlife friendly? Join Mitch Perkins to find out how.
Find out more19 October 2023, 5:00pm - 6:30pm
FREE | Museum After Hours
Join us for an opportunity to explore the Museum at this FREE late opening.
Find out more19 October 2023, 7:00pm - 8:30pm
Real Dorset | Jon Woolcott
In this lecture, let Jon Woolcott take you on an amusing whistle-stop tour through some of the discoveries and oddities that make Dorset unique.
Find out more25 October 2023, 2:00pm - 2:45pm
Collections Discovery Centre Tour
Join our Collections Team for an opportunity to explore behind the scenes in the Museum’s Collections Discovery Centre.
Find out more