Ashby Museum was established in 1982 in a small cottage in Lower Church Street. In 1991 it relocated to its present home in North Street, where it shares the old National School building with the town Library and Tourist Information Centre. In 2006-7, thanks to a major Heritage Lottery Fund Grant, a two storey extension was added. It is a Registered Charity and is run by a group of trustees supported by over 50 volunteer custodians. It won the Leicestershire Heritage Award for best temporary exhibitions in 1998, 2001 and 2003. In July 2007, the museum won Museum of the Year in Leicestershire. It works closely with the county Museum Service and other independent museums in the area, sharing expertise and artefacts.

Ashby Museum gains national recognition

In December 2008, Ashby de la Zouch Museum was awarded full Accreditation Status under a national scheme run by the Museums, Libraries and Archives Council. After a great deal of work on the part of volunteers and trustees, the Museum is delighted at this major achievement. It means that the Museum has achieved high professional standards in the way it is managed, the way it looks after its collections and the services it offers to the public.

The Accreditation Scheme is regarded as one of the most innovative and effective developments in the museum sector. It has led the way in raising museum standards in the UK, and has been used as a model and source of inspiration for museums overseas. Ashby can be very proud indeed that it has a local museum that has met these exacting standards.

In order to qualify for accreditation, museums must show that they are striving to extend access to new audiences, encourage learning and inspire people’s creativity. Some of the many ways in which Ashby Museum is doing this include:

• a dedicated Museum Education Officer who runs specially tailored sessions for school groups
  
• talks and evening classes on a variety of topics
  
• holiday  activities for children and young people
  
• guided walks
  
• special events for local people
  
• research facilities for local and family historians
  
• publications (Ashby Inns, Pubs and Alehouses out now)
  
• a “Friends Association” with its own programme of events

The Museum is run entirely by volunteers and we are always looking for more people to help. Volunteers are needed to be custodians - the people who man the museum during opening hours. We also welcome people to help with archiving and looking after the collections. Contact the museum if you are interested in joining us.