Hampshire Cultural Trust cares for the collections owned by Hampshire County Council and Winchester City Council.
Due to the excellent work of curators and the generosity of donors, we are privileged to look after a fascinating and varied collection, which includes many more objects than we have space to display. Every object that enters the collection needs to be documented, safely stored and made ready so it can either go on display or contribute to future research. Once an object has entered the collection, our policies are designed to ensure that removing it involves great care and diligence.
That is why, we only recommend objects to enter the museum collections following a thorough process to check:
Is it directly relevant to the history of Hampshire, Winchester, or Christchurch?
For example, objects that are made by local manufacturers, involved or connected with an important local events or person
Would collecting it benefit the public?
We collect objects on behalf of the respective local authorities that help inspire, educate, and reveal new insights. Our strategy HCT2030 describes how we do this through programme and access to the collections.
If you would like to donate an object to the museum, please help us make that assessment by sending us as much information as you have to collections@hampshireculturaltrust.org.uk, including:
- Photographs that show its size and its condition
- Tell us where the object is from and how you come to own it
- Explain to us what, in your eyes, makes this object special
Looking after a museum object is expensive and our resources are limited. That is why we must decline many offers of object donations, especially when they are made with specific conditions about their use or come without financial assistance to address conservation needs.
We are raising funding to help us grow our conservation capacity, invest in better facilities and make even better use of the collections already in our care. To find out more about our campaign, visit the Museum Collections Fund (link to follow).
Collections Development Policy Documents
What we already have, what we collect and how we dispose of collections is defined by our Collections Development Policy which can be found below.