Page 17 - Chiron Calling Autumn 2019

The Museum of Military Medicine’s Move from Keogh Barracks: A Transformational World Class Development in Wales
By Jason Semmens, M.A., AMA
The Museum of Military Medicine Trust embarked upon a transformation programme in 2016 as part of a longer- term project to relocate the museum from Keogh Barracks, near Aldershot, to Cardiff, in South Wales. All aspects of the Museum’s operations and governance have been revisited with a view to transforming the Museum of Military Medicine from a supported regimental collection to a self-sustaining cultural and innovation enterprise, in addition to designing a new museum facility in Cardiff.
The Trust’s ambition to relocate the Museum of Military Medicine stems from the recognition that in order to build a sustainable future for the museum’s collections it needs to look beyond the current MOD-supported regimental museum set-up and to extend the scope of the museum’s operations to increase its visibility and relevance. The present location offers little scope for expansion, either in terms of facilities or developing footfall; moreover, the museum no longer offers the kind of experiences expected by today’s museum visitors. Instead, in its new Cardiff Bay location MMM will refocus its offer to appeal to the wider visiting public, using the collections, manuscript archives, and digital technology to explore innovations in trauma medicine during conflict and healthcare management in humanitarian relief and how the health benefits accrued from military medicine have contributed to the wellbeing and general health benefit of civilian populations globally. Advances in veterinary science will also be a major feature of the new facility.
Director Museum of Military Medicine
The development phase of the project is now reaching its conclusion, by the end of 2019. The museum has received significant levels of support from Cardiff Council, Welsh Government and the Army. For example, Cardiff Council has offered a 250 year lease on a site on Britannia Quay, a waterfront location on the eastern side of the Bay, which will complete by December 2019. A planning application for the Museum’s proposed building has now been submitted following public consultation in summer 2019, and should receive planning consent by December this year. The main fundraising drive for the capital project begins this autumn with an expression of interest submitted to the National Lottery Heritage Fund’s ‘Heritage Horizons’ programme, for grants of over £5 million. The museum will also approach the Wellcome Trust for funding. Concurrently investment will be sought, to help provide funding for the building and fit out. Those conversations are underway but will follow a defined timeline for grant applications.
MMM’s business plan identifies a series of income streams that will enable the museum to become self-sustaining. These are broadly identified as pre and post-build revenues. Of the former, MMM is currently working with academic partners and the NHS on co-developing Master’s Degrees in health leadership and Continuous Professional Development (CPD) courses for industry, again focused on leadership. An MBA and post grad research degree will also be established. The plan is to replicate and adapt these courses with other academic institutions
with medical, nursing, dental and veterinary departments.
Post build, a mix of conferencing, retail, catering, admissions charging, temporary exhibitions, events, and venue hire is being planned, and with the educational programmes and innovative research partnerships will all contribute to the long-term viability of the project. MMM will also feature an active public engagement programme featuring serving personnel drawn from all four AMS corps, academics and medical practitioners, to bring medical innovation and practice to public attention.
The launch of the new museum in late 2022 will see an exciting and prestigious new national archive and collections facility that is ‘world class’ being fully available to the public for the first time and is likely to attract significant public and media attention. The aim is that MMM will partner in health, wellbeing, tourism and education agendas local to Wales and nationally.
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