Lisa looks ahead

AIM Director Lisa Ollerhead looks ahead to the potential challenges facing AIM members in 2023 and highlights the key areas where AIM is here to help. 

As we look ahead, the challenges facing the sector continue unabated. As ever, AIM is here to support you, so please do lean on us, and each other, for that support as you navigate these times. I know that last year didn’t turn out as anyone hoped, but I believe in the ingenuity and ability of the independent sector to evolve new responses and ideas. I hope all our members, their staff and volunteers, can find time to take care of yourselves and each other as you do so.

As I write we have just heard the results of the review of the Energy Bill Relief Scheme that capped surging energy prices for businesses until Spring 2023. Many of you will recall that energy costs were highest on the list of financial challenges you described when we surveyed the sector back in September, and we know it is unlikely that that position has changed, despite the pockets of mild weather in the winter to date and the drops in wholesale prices.

With the support of the information you provided in our surveying, AIM and our colleague organisations across the sector highlighted the pressing need for help for museums on these costs in our representations to Government last year. The new Scheme sees a (much-trailed) reduction of the Treasury support on offer but museums are included in the higher rate of support provided to Energy and Trade Intensive Industries until 2024. We know that this help might not be as much as our members hoped, but almost all the other industries eligible for the higher rate are manufacturing and it is an enormous sign of support for our sectors and recognition of the case sector bodies were able to make with your information that we were included.

We await more detail on how museums will access this support – it will need to be actively applied for, so watch closely for more information.

AIM also continues to encourage members to take up the financial support currently offered by Government through reliefs such as MGETR and the recently reopened VAT33a scheme. On the latter, it was good to see the extension of the application deadline to March 2023 with an emphasis that seasonally-open museums can apply for the first time, so if you are a free to enter museum who isn’t on the scheme do check to see if you can apply: it’s how the UK Government encourages free entry and it’s free money!

We continue to push for a more appropriate evaluation approach to museum Business Rates. Watch out for updates on this from Colin Hunter and do attend the webinars we are running to support a better understanding of the opportunity this could create for you (potentially more money!)

Westminster has said it will publish a ‘sector vision’ setting out the government’s strategy for increasing growth in the creative industries sector early in 2023 so we will be sure to share details of this, and any opportunities it provides to the sector, as soon as the opportunity arises.

2023 will also see AIM release the findings for several fascinating research projects – on the emotional drivers behind successful museum campaigns (see page 12 for more on this) and on strategic approaches to admissions pricing later in the year.

We are stop-the-presses launching a new and significant grant scheme in England, AIM Connected Communities – check our socials and website for more information. And we welcome the continued support of Pilgrim Trust and the Worshipful Company of Arts Scholars Charitable Trust for the return of our Conservation Grants and Brighter Day Grants respectively. Do check these out, they are designed for you.

I won’t gaze too far into the future, but it is shaping up to be a busy and exciting Spring and Summer. We’re already deep in planning for our Conference in Edinburgh and I look forward to catching up with many of you there. The Coronation of King Charles III is set for May and this year sees the 75th anniversary of the HMT Empire Windrush arriving in Britain. As ever we look forward to celebrating these events and the opportunities they provide in engaging our communities in Britain’s past, present and future.

If you’d like to get in touch with Lisa to discuss the challenges you’re facing, you can email her on lisa.ollerhead@aim-museums.co.uk