Hampshire Cultural Trust determined to find better funding solution

Hampshire County Council’s recent budget review revealed plans to cut funding to Hampshire Cultural Trust by nearly 50 per cent.

Chief executive of the trust, Paul Sapwell, said venue closures are inevitable if the proposal goes ahead but it is too early to say which locations and what services would be impacted.

The cultural trust manages 24 sites across the county, including Basing House, Milestones Museum, the Willis Museum and Sainsbury Gallery in Basingstoke, and maintains 2.5m historical items from museum collections.

The county council is the trust’s main funding source, currently providing £2.5m a year to make up 30 per cent of the trust’s funding.

Admission is currently free for The Willis Museum and Sainsbury Gallery but Mr Sapwell was unable to say whether that might change if funding is reduced.

The Willis Museum and Sainsbury Gallery (Image: Hampshire Cultural Trust)

The charity has already proposed to cease operations at Bursledon Windmill after Eastleigh Borough Council withdrew its funding.

Earlier this year, the trust was also forced to let go of 19 of its 210 staff members to combat inflation.

Despite the future being uncertain, Mr Sapwell is positive that the trust and the council can continue their positive relationship to find a better solution that will be less damaging.

Mr Sapwell said: “I couldn’t possibly say what we might change. A £1m cut is going to necessitate everything we do and the services that we provide being reviewed.

“It’s difficult to say exactly what a solution might look like but we are determined to talk to the council on how we can mitigate this long-term cut. We want to talk to them about the consequences of these proposals.

“We fully understand their position and that it’s not unique to Hampshire but it’s the degree to which some services are being targeted.

“There are long-term consequences of reducing services like ours that contribute to quality of life. It will only increase the burden on other services.

“Hampshire is a wonderful place to live, with an exceptional art scene and heritage. The history and culture are part of the county’s identity and we’re part of that infrastructure.

“Once we lose museums, we can’t go back. Heritage venues rarely return once they close. When our customers hear this news they will be deeply concerned about the reduction.

“I feel confident that we can find a better solution. We enjoy a really good relationship with the council.

“It would be wrong to say that we won’t have any pain along the way but by working with our supporters we should be able to minimise the impact.

“We have a formidable record of rising to economic challenges, our business model is strong and I have no doubt we can rise to the challenge again.”

Chief executive Paul Sapwell (Image: Hampshire Cultural Trust)

Overall, the chief executive said the trust is financially viable with visitor numbers nearly back to pre-pandemic.

He added that any decisions to close venues would be based on much more than each site’s revenue with the organisation ultimately operating as a cultural charity.

A spokesperson for Hampshire County Council said: “We’ve been very open about the huge financial pressures we’re facing in the coming years – with an estimated budget shortfall of £132m by April 2025. Like many local authorities our budgets are stretched to breaking point – because of high inflation, years of underfunding by central government and growing demand for core services like social care for vulnerable children and adults as more people need our help.

“With such major budget constraints, we considering very carefully how we can close this funding gap in future and regrettably, some very tough decisions are now needed on what the authority can and cannot continue to do in future.

“We must look at all areas of our spending, including the range of both one-off funding and recurring grant funding we have provided over past years to support voluntary and not-for-profit organisations serving Hampshire communities – such as financial support awarded to the Hampshire Cultural Trust. We are committed to working closely with the trust on the details in relation to the proposals and possible implications should plans be agreed.

“We are already working closely with the trust to explore a more sustainable financial solution for them in future that would offer them more commercial freedom to generate their own income, independently from the council. This option could also mean that the cultural trust receives less funding from the authority which would help us balance our budgets and ensure available resources could be focused to support the most vulnerable people in Hampshire in the delivery of vital core services.”