Project: Museum of East Anglian Life

Scope: access auditing and planning

Client: Tony Butler, director, Museum of East Anglian Life

Client testimonial

'We engaged Jayne to produce an Access Plan which was integral to the submission of a major capital application to the Heritage Lottery Fund in 2006. This £2.6m project seeks to restore and open to the public a delightful Queen Anne house, walled garden, stables and a pair of derelict 18th century workers' cottages. The museum is a complex site with a number of historic and listed buildings dotted around an 80 acre rural environment. Jayne immediately grasped the complexities of making a site like ours physically and intellectually inclusive without detracting from the integrity of the historic buildings, some of which had stood on the site for centuries. Her report was sensitive to our distinctive space and collections but nonetheless challenging and has ensured that we constantly revisit our practice.

'Jayne took the initiative in garnering an access group to assess local issues and concerns and to act as critical friend to the museum. The group is a major legacy of Jayne's work and is regularly convened to collaborate with the museum. Working with Jayne also stimulated the development of our extensive community work (we run the only social enterprise in a UK museum) and further ensured that inclusivity and access remain treasured values throughout the organisation.

'Jayne was especially good to work with as she combined a very personable approach (she ate with the museum team during site visits!) with a directness which ensured we had clear objectives during her consultancy.

'Most importantly the consultancy supplied by Jayne was a major contribution to the success of our capital bid which was confirmed in May 2009 with work to be completed by October 2011.'