Summerlee Heritage Centre Hosts Exciting Museums Launch

North Lanarkshire museums are leading the way in the museums and galleries sector with a groundbreaking new social inclusion project to be launched today at Summerlee Heritage Centre in Coatbridge.

The innovative project, which will see North Lanarkshire museums working alongside Special Needs and Criminal Justice groups, is part of the Scottish Executive funded Regional Development Challenge Fund (RDCF), which is administered by the Scottish Museum Council. The project aims to make a valuable contribution to local communities by working with groups who have previously had no involvement with museums, and will see museums and social work staff working closely together. The project partners believe that, by inspiring people through museum collections, they can help make a positive impact on a wide variety of people�s lives.

Elaine Smith, MSP for Coatbridge and Chryston and long time supporter of Summerlee Heritage Centre, will be in attendance. She said: �I am delighted to be involved in the launch of this exciting project. Museums in the North Lanarkshire area, such as Summerlee Heritage Centre, are a vital asset to our local community and Scotland as a whole, and I am pleased that the Regional Development Challenge Fund will enable such a wide variety of social groups to enjoy their wonderful facilities.�

Patricia Ferguson, Minister for Tourism, Culture and Sport, said: "I am very pleased that the Regional Development Challenge Fund is proving so successful in helping to establish meaningful partnerships.  Our aim was for a range of partnerships spread across the whole of Scotland. But what is developing is much more that merely geographical cover in the way the partnerships encompass so many of the Executive's cultural, educational and social priorities."

This project is being launched alongside two other RDCF projects. These projects all focus on new and innovative partnership working between the museums and galleries sector and a variety of relevant bodies. By working in partnership with social work organisations, community groups, criminal justice organisations, Local Authorities and Education Services, they demonstrate the willingness of the Scottish museums and galleries sector to move forward and embrace the communities in which they find themselves.

Carol Haddow from the North Lanarkshire project, said: �We are very excited by the project and looking forward to working closely with our neighbours in South Lanarkshire. The award from the RDCF will enable us to develop new partnerships  - and build on some old ones - and through these partnerships we can make sure that all sections of our community have access to their heritage.�

Joanne Orr, Director of the Scottish Museums Council, said: 'SMC is delighted to be launching this latest round of RDCF funded projects, which highlight the creativity with which the Scottish museums and galleries sector approaches partnership working. These projects will work across a range of Ministerial portfolios, from Education to Community Care, demonstrating the integral role museums play in the lives of our local communities.'

Notes for Editors

• There will be a photocall at 11am on 29th November at Summerlee Heritage Centre with the Buchanan Photography Group, Elaine Smith MSP and Joanne Orr, SMC Director. The Buchanan Photography Group, all of whom have special needs, will be exhibiting the photography they have produced through an existing project at Summerlee and chatting to attendees about their work. The group�s work will be significantly enhanced through RDCF funding.
• The Regional Development Challenge Fund replaces the Strategic Change Fund and is administered on behalf of the Scottish Executive by the Scottish Museums Council. It awards grants of up to �100,000 annually for three years. There has already been one round of awards in September this year, which saw a further five museums and galleries projects throughout Scotland receive funding.
• The Scottish Museums Council (SMC) is the main channel for the Scottish Executive support to, and the member organisation for, non-national museums and galleries in Scotland. SMC provides strategic leadership and a range of service including grant aid, strategic and operational advice, information and training. SMC has 207 members, which manage 340 museums all over Scotland, including 164 Independent, 142 local authority, 7 regimental and 27 university museums.
• Museum Resources for Social Integration
  Led by North Lanarkshire Council Museums, this programme will create partnerships between museums and social work organisations and community groups. Developing a more effective relationship between museums and social work staff will assist museums in making a more sustainable contribution to the local community.
• North East Scotland Museums Partnership
  Working closely with the Education Services of both local authorities (Aberdeen City and Aberdeenshire) and the University�s School of Education, the key priority of this project will be to model, test and deliver across the North East the concept of a cultural right of access to exceptional collections held by museums in this part of Scotland and to the stories that they tell.
• Skills Building for the Future
  Led by Orkney Islands Council, the aim of this project is to raise the level of skills in all areas of museum and heritage operations across Highlands and Island, to strengthen and build capacity within the museums and heritage voluntary sector, and to build lasting links with other relevant agencies across the Highlands and Islands.