Rushden Transport Museum is an Accredited Museum within the Rushden Historical Transport Society which is a registered charity, and as such relies on the generosity of members, visitors and supporters who make donations.
Donations can be in the form of gifts of money , or objects and time by volunteering to help.
The museum currently has two interactive donation boxes that make giving small change fun for every one. They are situated in the ticket office and the main waiting room.
Donations of notes can also be accommodated for example on a group visit, please let us know if a receipt is required in advance by contacting museum@rhts.co.uk
Donations of cash made in the museum are passed in full to the Society’s Treasurer for the benefit of RHTS development.
As an accredited museum, we have a collections policy:
Our focus now is on collecting objects, ephemera and stories that reflect the impact of different road and rail transport on the development of Rushden and its people, from within a radius of 50 miles.
There are gaps in our collection – so you might wonder why we don’t just accept donations straight away, this is because we need to be sure that the items offered as gifts, purchases or loans are legally acquired, most suitable for exhibition or research, and that we are able to care for them appropriately.
We can no longer accept objects on long-term loan (the maximum length is 5 years but this can be renewed), or with specific conditions attached, or objects containing hazardous substances.
Advice on how to donate:
Please do not bring objects into the Museum; but either come and see us with a photo on a scheduled open time, or send us an email to museum@rhts.co.uk, to tell us about your object. If we are interested, we will first contact you for more information about the object and where it came from and then if appropriate come and take a look at it so we can assess it.
Please do not be offended if we cannot accept your object; it might be that we have a similar object already, or it’s too big, or something that we don’t collect or need for an exhibition. We will always tell you why we can’t accept your object, and suggest other museums that might be interested to help you find an appropriate home.
Joining the RHTS and volunteering your time in the museum is always greatly appreciated.
We need volunteers to open the museum to visitors and extend our opening times. If you like chatting with people, then this the first step. There is an induction and probationary period when you would be given full support and guidance, so that you are sure it is what you would like to do. Contact museum@rhts.co.uk to arrange a meeting.
There are also many other jobs in which need to be done, so if you are interested in the local heritage and would like to get involved we would love to hear from you, contact museum@rhts.co.uk.
