Chesterfield Museum wins award for the Trench Experience

Chesterfield Museum has won an award for its interactive display which commemorated the centenary of the end of the First World War.

The Trench Experience Exhibition, which ran from 12 October to 19 January at the popular Chesterfield Borough Council run attraction on St Mary’s Gate, received the award for enterprise and innovation at the recent Derbyshire Heritage Awards.

The awards, run by the Derbyshire Museums and Heritage Forum, celebrate the work taking place in museums and heritage organisations across the county.

Part of the museum’s art gallery was transformed into a section of a trench like those on the Western Front in France and Belgium from 1914 to 1918. Sights, sounds and smells were included to give visitors a good idea of a soldier’s life during the conflict.

Councillor Kate Sarvent, Chesterfield Borough Council’s cabinet member for town centres and visitor economy, said: “I am extremely proud of the hard work carried out by staff and volunteers at the museum to make this possible. It is great to see them recognised by the county for their innovative approach to marking the First World War.”

The exhibition was supported by many local organisations and was funded by Chesterfield Borough Council, a £1,500 grant from Museum Development East Midlands and donations from the many visitors to the Museum over the year.

The Trench Experience exhibition was extremely popular with both local people and visitors. The museum saw a 36 per cent increase in visitors while the exhibition was on show.

Chesterfield Museum is open each Monday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday from 10am to 4pm. Admission is free. For information on the current exhibitions, visit: www.chesterfield.gov.uk/museum.