Type=image;ImageID=3063;ImageClass=left;ImageTitle=The Presentation of the Sandford Award;TitleClass=strong;
Staff from the popular Wolverhampton City Council run attraction collected the Sandford Award, which recognises excellence in heritage education across Britain.
And they were in good company - with the other recipients including the National Gallery in London, Hampton Court Palace and the National Museum of Wales.
The Sandford Awards focus on formal, curriculum-linked education as well as informal activities for families and adults, and judges visited Bantock House Museum in July to observe its education team delivering school workshops and discuss the education programme and other activities it offers.
Around 1,500 pupils took part in education sessions at Bantock House Museum last year exploring aspects of Victorian life using objects from the collections, including dolls and toys, and period style craft activities such as making shadow puppets and peg dolls. Meanwhile 2,300 children aged from 3 to 11 enjoyed a variety of holiday sessions.
Curator Helen Steatham said: "This is the second time we have received a Sandford Award, and I am delighted that the service we provide at Bantock House Museum has been recognised alongside some major heritage sites such as the National Gallery. I am very proud of our team."
Councillor Elias Mattu, Wolverhampton City Council's Cabinet Member for Leisure and Communities, said: "Bantock House Museum's education team offers an exciting education programme which is enjoyed by hundreds of pupils across Wolverhampton every year. I'd like to congratulate them on winning this award."
Author and historian Alison Weir, who presented the Sandford Awards at the National Gallery, said: "It was a humbling experience, encountering so many dedicated unsung heroes and heroines, all committed to enriching our understanding of our heritage."
The award is the second Bantock House Museum has received in recent weeks - earlier this month it was rated "excellent" by VisitEngland's Visitor Attraction Quality Assurance Scheme.
- released: Wednesday 4 December, 2013