“We are deeply saddened that as COVID-19 has had a devastating effect on the museum, we have had to take the step of placing a number of roles at risk of redundancy, subject to collective consultation.
“As a charity, 95 per cent of our income comes from our visitors. The mandatory four-month closure due to COVID-19, and recent reopening with restricted capacity, have had a major impact on our visitor numbers and our finances.
“We have been doing everything we possibly can to secure the future of Beamish, including launching a fundraising campaign, reducing our costs and applying for all support and loans available to us, and we continue to take every possible step to ensure the long-term sustainable future of the museum.
“However, despite this, like many organisations across the museums, heritage and tourism sectors, COVID-19 has had a devastating and unprecedented impact. At Beamish, where we have more than 400 much-valued employees, we have been left with no option but to take the incredibly difficult decision to begin a period of collective consultation. This unfortunately means we have had to put 59 roles at risk of redundancy, subject of course to the outcome of the consultation. Our people mean so much to us and we will seek to retain as many of the 59 roles as possible as we work through this difficult period.
“We would like to thank all our visitors, Friends, Business Friends, funders and partners for their ongoing support during these difficult times. Your support is truly appreciated, as we work to secure the future of Beamish Museum for generations to come.”
Rhiannon Hiles, Beamish Museum’s Deputy Director