Worcestershire risks losing its historic treasures after MoD cuts funding to regimental museum

The MoD has named the Mercian Regiment Museum (Worcestershire) as one of those that will lose its funding - £20,000 a year - in April.

The cut will put at risk the future of the Worcestershire Soldier galleries, in Foregate Street, and the museum's archives which are kept at Dancox House Army Reserve Centre in Pheasant Street.

The museum is home to 11, 564 objects including precious Victoria Cross medals, weapons, portraits, diaries, regimental silver, oil paintings, letters, commissions and even the original indentures from the regiment's beginnings.

It is feared these historical treasures may be sent elsewhere or retained but inaccessible to the public.

The museum's trustees also believe the loss of the museum would cut a golden thread - linking the past and present and the regiment and the people it has served.

Mark Jackson, chairman of the museum trustees, said: "This is an incredibly short-sighted piece of work by the MoD.

"What we have in the museum is the military heritage of Worcestershire.

"It's what the men of Worcestershire achieved over centuries.

"A really important role of all museums is education and that is what we are trying to do.

"We want the younger generation to understand what their forebearers did in the past.

"If our museum disappears who will teach the young people what their forebearers did?"

Mr Jackson, a former Worcestershire and Sherwood Foresters commanding officer, said nearly all other links with the Worcestershire Regiment, which was once based at Norton Barracks, have gone from the county.

He said: "All Worcestershire has left is a small group of reservists of the Mercian regiment, based in Kidderminster, and the regimental museum.

"If our museum closes ,Worcestershire has lost that link and the country has lost the link, the golden thread."

The cut is part of an ongoing plan by the MoD to halve the number of Army museums it funds by 2030 and have only one museum for each of the current British Army regiments.

Currently there is no Mercian regimental museum but there are four relating to its antecedent regiments. The others are in Cheshire, Staffordshire and Nottingham.

Mr Jackson said the trustees faced a battle to raise the £58,000 a year needed to run the museum.

The museum cannot charge the 15,000 people who visit each in accordance with the county council's policy of keeping access to museums free.

It already relies on investment and donations and trustees are now investigating other funding options but Mr Jackson said he needed county people to help.

He said: "I believe I have to mobilise the people of Worcestershire to help me to retain our museum and keep our military heritage so we can inform our future generations."

An MoD spokeswoman said: “We recognise the important contribution made by these museums in preserving military heritage and acting as the bridge between communities and the Army.

“This is why, irrespective of funding, they will continue to receive support and have close ties with their associated regiment.”

History of the Worcestershire Regiment

The Worcestershire Regiment started in 1694

In 1970 it was amalgamated into the Worcestershire and Sherwood Foresters, affectionately known as the Woofers

In 2007, it became the Mercian Regiment, bringing together The Cheshire Regiment, The Worcestershire and Sherwood Foresters, the Staffordshire Regiment and the West Midlands TA. It now recruits from five counties, Cheshire, Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire, Staffordshire and Worcestershire

History of the museum

The museum was started after world war one by the Worcestershire Regiment at Norton Barracks in Worcester.

The artifacts and archives were moved into the Worcester City Art Gallery and Museum in Foregate Street in the 1970s.

Following a complete renovation in 2003, the Worcestershire Soldier galleries were created in the museum in Foregate Street, with the archives held at Dancox House Army Reserve Centre in Pheasant Street.