Creating Sustainability Leaders in the Museum Profession

Client Challenge

Renaissance North West, a government-funded programme transforming museums in the North West of England, needed to assist regional museums in surviving the challenges of reduced funding, new environmental legislation, and rising costs. We were asked to create a programme to equip developing leaders with the skills to respond to change and drive forward sustainable development in museums.

Our Role

Together with Renaissance North West and the participating museums, we:

• Identified key priorities for the region through outreach workshops and consultation.
• Established the financial and environmental carbon footprint of each individual museum as well as the region as a whole.
• Created and delivered a tailored programme which developed participants’ leadership, advocacy and project-management skills, and allowed them to exchange ideas and experience with a network of their peers.

Results

Participants’ knowledge of sustainability issues and their confidence in presenting the case for action increased markedly. As a result, participants were better able to identify and capitalise on sustainability opportunities at their institutions. The group format enabled them to exchange skills and experience with their peers.

As well as making substantial savings on their utility bills and significantly cutting their greenhouse gas emissions, participating institutions gained access to new technologies via better understanding of the technology available and its potential benefits. Each institution now has a long-term sustainability strategy and a specific member of staff tasked with implementing it.

• Participating institutions saved a total of $431,000 in costs, and 1,194 tonnes of carbon in a single year.
• The programme created $1,005,000 of environmental, economic and social value (measured according to government-approved standards).
• The programme paid for itself within four months.
• The participants have formed their own permanent sustainability network to continue working on these issues.

Client Testimonials:

This programme addresses the responsibility that we share as individuals and in our organisations to make a difference in our work. The value of this programme is that it has come about directly in response to the needs and interests of the museum people who were involved in the initial consultation workshops. It is focussing not just on issues of science and technology, but on new ways of working, prioritising and managing risks. Most importantly it is creating a uniquely valuable opportunity to think differently.

– Emma Anderson, Renaissance North West Manager 

Before the programme, I didn’t have the confidence or knowledge to be able to translate this to the working environment. It was just about taking the first steps in the first place, which this project encouraged me and gave me the confidence to do. It is also massively beneficial from a professional and personal development angle.

–Rachel Hammond, Museum of Science and Industry

It will have a significant, lasting and very positive impact on you and your organisation. It will make you re-think your priorities and working practices. Your organisation will open up to new opportunities which will help ensure its long-term survivability.

–Kathryn Lynch, Port Sunlight Museum & Garden Village