In a move that will surprise very few, the UK’s Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) has announced that it will start to withdraw sponsorship of non-national museums from spring next year, with complete dissociation by 2015. This means that small museums, or “museums that should be the responsibility of local communities”, will have to find new sources of revenue to survive. These could include alternative sponsorship, local council funding, philanthropy, or admission charges.

Among the eight museums affected is the Horniman Museum and Gardens in Forest Hill, south London. This absolute gem, plonked right in the heart of suburbia, contains extensive natural history exhibits, an aquarium, anthropological displays, a room full of musical instruments and other treasures.

Oh, and one of my favourite warning notices in the whole of London:

The museum is a haven for the curious and, with its extensive events programme, probably one of London’s great recruiting Sargents for would-be scientists. Fortunately, its budget is ringfenced for the next four years, which should be enough time for those who run it to secure viable funding sources. The superb Brockley Central website has a spirited debate going on about the issue right now.

The other non-national museums affected by the announcement are the Design Museum (London), the Geffrye Museum (London), the Museum of Science and Industry (Manchester), the National Coal Mining Museum for England (Wakefield), the National Football Museum (Manchester), the People’s History Museum (Manchester), and Tyne and Wear Museums.

Meantime, be sure to find time to visit the Horniman Museum if you’ve never been before. It really is worth seeing. (Although leave it till the end of the year, as the natural history galleries are currently closed for a refurb.)