A successful football-based pop-up museum has opened in the heart of Durham City after council grant funding.
Fans Museum CIC, which currently operates a football museum in Sunderland, has opened a similar but smaller venue in Unit 41 to 42 at Prince Bishops Place Shopping Centre.
The museum will offer a huge collection of football memorabilia for fans to see when they visit, and people will even be able to try on the shirts and other items at the venue.
The new museum has been possible thanks to a grant from Durham County Council, alongside the North East CA, through the meanwhile funding scheme from the authority’s Towns and Villages Programme.
The support ensures that vacant buildings are brought back into use temporarily while new tenants are sought. This drives footfall, adds vibrancy and creates a unique experience for shoppers in the city.
The fan museum is the fourth business the council has supported using funding from the meanwhile use scheme in the shopping centre.
Offering a perfect position for the venue, the unit is opposite the recently funded Seven Stories pop up and offers a large, reoccupied space for a family friendly attraction.
Cllr Karen Allison, Durham County Council’s Cabinet member for leisure, tourism, regeneration and high street, said: “This football pop-up museum will be a fantastic addition to Durham City and provide a unique experience for shoppers. It also demonstrates why the meanwhile use scheme is a great way of bringing long-term vacant buildings back into use.
“Our Towns and Villages programme is a vital asset towards our ambitions for regeneration and helps to provide targeted support, training and grants for retail and hospitality businesses. Meanwhile, the Property Reuse Fund is helping individuals and business owners bring vacant units and unused spaces back into use across the county, much like this one in the city.”
Michael Ganley, founder of Fans Museum, said: “I’d like to say a huge thank you to Durham County Council and the team at Prince Bishops Shopping Centre for the opportunity to set up in the amazing city of Durham, allowing the Fans Museum’s vision to expand. Their support in this has been truly remarkable.
“Durham is visited daily from international visitors, who will now embrace the real passion of the Fans Museum’s connection with the community and football fans. We will also welcome students from Durham University, who will have an opportunity to not only engage with the collection but also participate with outreach projects.
“We see the dementia delivery project being a huge success and one that will benefit not only the city of Durham, but all those in the North East suffering with the disease. I’m extremely excited, immensely proud, and personally, I can’t wait to meet all the amazing visitors we will attract.
“If you have a loved one or know someone suffering with Cognitive Dissonance or Dementia, why don’t you get involved and help us build our memory boxes, that way you will have a greater impact supporting so many.”
The museum hopes to put the community at the heart of its decision-making and has a team of ambassadors working for them, hoping to make a positive impact on residents’ lives.
Supporting dementia, veterans and Alzheimer’s campaigns, alongside many other causes, one of the main purposes of the Durham unit will be the making of memory boxes, with help from the community. These include photos, personal mementos, favourite objects and memorabilia and will be rolled out in care homes to bring wellbeing benefits to the elderly.
