Donating Objects to the Museum

The Almonry collections have built up over many years, mostly through public donation.  We welcome offers of material for our collections that fall within our collecting policy.  The Almonry is an Accredited Museum and as such is bound by the Code of Ethics set out by the Museums Association, which ensures that museums uphold standards of stewardship for collections.  You can read the Code of Ethics by following this link:

http://www.museumsassociation.org/ethics/code-of-ethics

What does the Almonry collect?

The Almonry tells the story of Evesham and the Vale. Geographically it covers the town of Evesham and the area approximately six miles around it known as the Vale of Evesham.

The Almonry will consider items from the fossil era to the present day that relate to Evesham and the Vale.  On receiving a request we will assess the item for its relevance to the existing collection, its importance in terms of local significance, the quality of the item and whether it fills an identified gap in our collection.

Please see our Collection Development Policy 2022-2027  for more information on what we collect.

Will the Almonry be interested in my object?

It is likely that we will be interested in your donation.  In the first instance please contact us in writing or by telephone to discuss your potential donation.  Please give us as much information as you can about the object, including a photograph where possible.

Telephone: 01386 446944

Email: tic@almonry.ndo.co.uk

It may be that your object is a perfect fit.  In that case we will accession it into our permanent collection.  Sometimes an object is offered that would be useful for education and outreach work.  In these instances we will discuss our intentions with you.

How do I donate?  

In the first instance please telephone or email the Almonry to talk to the Manager or one of the Senior Assistants on duty.  You may be asked to send in photographs, measurements, weight and details of condition of the object/s.

Once the Almonry team have received your information, they will discuss the options and will be in contact within 4 weeks.

If accepted, you can offer your object as a donation, loan or sale ( but only in very exceptional circumstances)  We will not accept objects with specific conditions related to either its display or usage.  You will be issued with a receipt for your object.

If we do not accept your offer, please do not be offended.  It may be that the object is too big or is a duplicate of one we already have.  If we believe it will be of interest to another local museum we will put you in touch with them.

Can I loan my object to you?

Yes you can but we will not accept long term loans unless in exceptional circumstances.  Your object must fall within the specified criteria and we will not accept specific conditions on the loan e.g. usage or display.

Copyright

In respect of items created by the donor e.g. photographs, diaries etc we ask that they assign copyright to the museum.  This is not a condition of donation.  By assigning copyright to the museum, we will be able to use the object for research, publicity and marketing purposes, any monies generated through such activity is put back into the museum so we can continue to care for our collections and improve services and facilities for out visitors.

What happens to my object?

When we take your object we may not put it on display straight away.  We may wish to use it in an exhibition that we are planning in the future or we may wish to use it for a handling collection, we will make this clear to you when you offer us the object.

I’m not sure who owns my object

We cannot accept any object where ownership is in question, we may ask for proof in some cases.  Please ensure that you have the right to donate or loan any object to the museum.

Can you value my object for me?

The Almonry will not offer any valuations on any objects.  If you require a valuation please search for a local auction house who should offer this service.