Following negotiations with East Dorset District Council, the Board of Trustees of the Priest’s House Museum in Wimborne has agreed in principle to work with the council to continue the running of the town’s Tourist Information Centre.
The final details have still to be formalised but it is likely that the arrangement will be similar to that agreed in Christchurch where the Regent Centre will take over running of the Information Centre there.
If the arrangement goes ahead, the council will fund a manager for the Wimborne TIC for a period of up to three years to set up a group of volunteers to run the Information Centre service as part of the Priest’s House.
Neil Farmer, Strategic Director at the Christchurch and East Dorset Partnership, said: “We’re pleased that the Board of Trustees of the Priest’s House has made this decision. When we made the announcement that the council was having to consider withdrawing from providing the Information Centre service we were still hopeful that we would find a third party to keep it going, so this is very good news.”
Mike Carter, Chairman of the Priest’s House Board of Trustees, said: “The Trust is pleased that the council has made available funding for three years to enable us to incorporate the running of the TIC within our present operation. We very much hope that the local community will support us in this endeavour to enable the Priest’s House Museum, with the TIC incorporated within it, to be financially sustainable.”
Cllr Derek Burt, President of the Museum, said: “I welcome the positive approach of the Museum Trustees to link the TIC with the Museum so as to continue the provision of the much valued services in East Dorset.”
