Our Pride of Place grant supports Darfield museum to welcome a wider audience

A popular Barnsley museum is using a grant from our Pride of Place scheme to help attract even more visitors.

The Maurice Dobson Museum and Heritage Centre in Darfield plays a key role in telling the stories of the village and its people.

It showcases fascinating items left by the late LGBTQ+ rights ambassador and long-time villager Maurice Dobson, as well as a variety of artefacts donated by residents.

There's everything from old TVs, miners' lamps and vacuum cleaners, to textile works, toys, artworks and sporting memorabilia.

Our Pride of Place grants scheme was delivered by Our Stronger Communities Team and funded by the UK Shared Prosperity Fund.

We have supported more than 30 groups to enhance their local environment and community facilities. 

Thanks to Pride of Place funding, the volunteer-run museum has now been made even more welcoming, with improved meeting and social spaces.

An outdoor area has been redeveloped into a multi-purpose seating area which can be used as a tearoom, meeting space, and pop-up workshop.

This has increased the museum’s capacity to welcome visitors and provided a versatile space for community activities.

Volunteers have created tailored learning resources for teachers and students, and hosted educational visits to bring history to life for young learners.

Darfield schools have been encouraged to select children to be Maurice Dobson ambassadors and spread the word about the museum and its collection to their classmates and parents.

The museum has hosted cross-generational events, including poetry workshops, recording local voices and stories, crafting, art demonstrations, and heritage walks.

The funding has also supported the creation of the Pride of Place Song Cycle - a new collection of songs celebrating Darfield's past, present and future - in collaboration with poet Ian McMillan and musician Luke Carver Goss.

This song cycle features lyrics written by Ian, who also volunteers at the museum. He based these on ideas and poems collected in workshops with older and younger Darfield residents. 

Chair of trustees Carmen Hancock said: “We are proud of the museum’s contribution to Darfield life and can now do so much more thanks to the Pride of Place funding.

“Our workshops and other events help to build community connections.

“They also provide a platform for local artists and artisans to showcase their work.

“We can’t wait to share the song cycle later this year. It has been inspired by ideas collected from villagers of all ages.

“Our wonderful new seating area, opening onto our outside space, lets us hold an even wider range of events, which we hope will attract more first-time visitors.

"We look forward to welcoming everyone to see the impact of this investment and find out more about Darfield's fascinating past and present.”

Museum trustees are eager to highlight the importance of Maurice Dobson for the LGBTQIA+ community.

They have developed specific resources and materials to shine the spotlight on his contributions, with support from key LGBTQIA+ groups.

The Pride of Place grant has also funded professional support to help recruit and train volunteers, including the launch of a new volunteers’ handbook.

Cllr Wendy Cain, Cabinet spokesperson for public health and communities, said: “The Maurice Dobson Museum is a real cultural gem.

“I’m thrilled our Pride of Place grant has played a key role in helping the museum in its mission attract new visitors and reach even more people.

“It’s exciting to see how the community is coming together and engage with our history in new and exciting ways.

“The new resources and events are bringing renewed energy and extra appeal to the museum.

“I look forward to seeing the continued positive impact on the community and the preservation of Darfield’s rich history and heritage.”

The Maurice Dobson Museum and Heritage Centre in Darfield is open every Wednesday afternoon from 1pm to 4pm, and 10am to 2pm on Saturdays. Admission is free.

Captions

Image 1: Volunteers in the new multi-use extension at the The Maurice Dobson Museum and Heritage Centre in Darfield.

Images 2 and 3: A selection of fascinating exhibits at the museum.

High-resolution images are available on request.