Sanford Awards

Back in August - in the preBrontëBlog era - this press release from the Brontë Society informed us of the Brontë Parsonage Museum winning a Sandford Award for Heritage Education. We bring it up again because today is the appointed date for the ceremony, held at Big Pit: National Mining Museum of Wales. The Awards will be presented by David Lammy, MP, Minister for Culture, DCMS .

From the August press release:

The museum received recognition for the diversity and range of its educational provision which focuses on providing a fascinating glimpse into the lives of the famous Brontë sisters and of Victorian Haworth. It also offers an exciting, crosscurricular education service committed to imagination and creativity in learning.

The visiting judge said “the inspired education programme at the Brontë Parsonage Museum is dedicated to fostering an understanding of the writing of the Brontës and also to firing the imaginations and drawing out the creativity of each of its visitors. Its exceptionally rich and varied programmes for visitors of all ages and backgrounds deserve the fullest recognition and represent a beacon of heritage education”.

The education service offers children opportunities to explore the world of the Brontës through artefact handling, drama, guided walks, and art and craft activities. A series of summer holiday activities for children has been fully booked throughout the summer months with workshops on printmaking, casting portraits and jewellery making. In addition to the childrens’ programmes, the museum’s education service also caters for older students and adult learners through courses, lecture programmes, adult education workshops and special events.

Andrew McCarthy, Audience Development Manager at the museum said “it is an honour to receive the Sandford Award for our educational work within the museum. The award is nationally recognized and acknowledges the work we have been doing to establish the museum as an education centre for all ages, abilities and backgrounds. Our aim is to offer both children and adults opportunities to enhance their understanding of the Brontës in ways which will inspire them and enrich their own imaginative and creative lives and it is particularly encouraging that the effectiveness of this approach has been highlighted by the award judges’’.

A complete list of winners can be found here.

We'd like to offer our congratulations to the Brontë Parsonage Museum for their constant and efficient work. We really like to see them reaping what they so carefully sowed. But of course we trust that this award will only push them into working even harder :)

Categories: Alert,Brontë_Parsonage_Museum