Here is a summary of what was scheduled to be discussed at the Joint Museums Committee meeting. The agenda included the Museums Worcestershire performance report, a review of the budget, and proposed changes to museum fees and charges. Also on the agenda was the Tickenhill Collection Trust annual report and a review of the committee's work programme.

2026-27 Fees and Charges

The Joint Museums Committee was scheduled to consider proposed changes to museum fees and charges for 2026-27. The proposals included inflationary increases and rounding charges to the nearest psychological price point, a strategy used by successful visitor attractions.

In 2019, the Joint Committee approved a proposal to align archaeology deposit fees with the national average, and the meeting was scheduled to discuss reverting to a single set of archaeology deposit fees, benchmarked to the national average. A new charge was proposed to recognise staff time for research enquiries and loan requests, similar to charges introduced at many other museums.

With the planned refurbishment of galleries at the Worcester City Art Gallery and Museum, new income streams for commercial hire from 2027 onwards were scheduled to be discussed, with new charges proposed based on those at The Commandery.

The approval of admission charges to Hartlebury Castle (shared with Hartlebury Castle Preservation Trust) is delegated to Worcestershire County Council's Assistant Director (Communities) in consultation with the Chair and Vice Chair of this committee.

The museum service is adopting a new online ticketing provider this year, following the upcoming closure of the Art Fund's Art Tickets system, and the report pack noted that:

charge application has been reviewed to ensure that visitors are not having to manage both an inflationary increase and a booking fee.

The report pack also stated that it was proposed that 2026 publicity should include any increased prices, rather than delaying changes.

Quarter 1 Performance Report 2025-26

The Joint Museums Committee was scheduled to note the Museums Worcestershire performance information for the first quarter of 2025-26. According to the report pack:

Broadly, all performance in Q1 continued on an upward trend. Visitors to the Art Gallery & Museum continued steady despite the introduction of a charge for all temporary exhibitions – a larger proportion of visitors are now only visiting the free elements of the museum which include the new (Arts Council-funded) Your Worcester displays.

The report pack also noted that there had been a significant change in the website indicator, due to a change in the analytics used to collect user data.

The County Museum at Hartlebury Castle was one of a small number across the country to be awarded the VisitEngland Gold Accolade in 2025.

The report pack also included an outline of each museum's accessibility and Museums Worcestershire's offer for home educators.

Museums Worcestershire were successful in their application to the Arts Council's Museums Renewal Fund which is supporting initiatives in quarters 2 to 4. The main funded areas are:

• Maximising the opportunity of a learning centre at the Art Gallery & Museum
• Maximising the opportunity of new collections displays
• Maximising the opportunity of the 375th anniversary of the Battle of Worcester
• Supporting local communities visiting as charges increase

Quarter 1 and Quarter 2 2025/26 Finance Report and 2025/27 Budget

The Joint Museums Committee was scheduled to review the financial monitoring details including budget variances for the period ended 30th September 2025, and to agree the budget for 2026/27.

The forecast year-end position for the city-hosted teams at Q2 was a £5,052 deficit. Museums Worcestershire has been granted a Museum Renewal Fund grant by Arts Council England of £220,000, which is supporting the development of future income growth and closer community working.

The 2026/27 draft budget for Worcester City Council is being prepared for review by the Policy & Resources Committee on 16th December 2025, with final approval by Council in February 2026. Worcestershire County Council is currently in negotiation with the County Museum landlord and partner at Hartlebury Castle, which will require a reworking to the museum's budget.

Tickenhill Collection Trust Annual Report

The Joint Museums Committee was scheduled to approve the annual report for the Tickenhill Collection 2024-25, for submission to the Charity Commission¹.

Museums Worcestershire supports the working of the Tickenhill Collection Trust, registered charity 527509, as part of its management of the Worcestershire County Museum. The Tickenhill Collection was the foundation of the museum and holds around a third of the County Council's Museum collection.

Both income and expenditure for the Trust in 2024-25 were nil, with work undertaken by volunteers and supported by staff funded by Worcestershire County Council.

Joint Museums Committee Work Programme

The Joint Museums Committee was scheduled to note its future work programme and consider whether there were any additional matters it would wish to be incorporated.