Service Charter
Introduction
Our promise is to provide a welcoming and professional service to all our visitors, and the opportunity to enjoy an enlightening and educational experience. Cheltenham Borough Council's Art Gallery and Museum Service aims to preserve Cheltenham's unique collections for the future and to make them available to an increasingly broad public in a way that communicates, educates and inspires.
This leaflet tells you about the service we offer, what standards you can expect, and how you can get in touch with us if you have a query or want to make a complaint.
The Service
The Art Gallery and Museum Service is intended for everyone. Collections are housed and the best of them displayed at the Art Gallery and Museum and the Holst Birthplace Museum (the latter an independent Trust).
To help you get maximum enjoyment from the collections, we provide:
- workshops, talks, demonstrations, guided tours
- a museum education and outreach service which works closely with schools and community groups
- provision of advice and information on local history, in the Arts & Crafts Movement, and other areas related to the collections
- a shop selling a range of gifts and books related to the collections
- special exhibitions
- a high quality cafe at the Art Gallery & Museum
For further details including opening times, please contact the Information Officer on 01242- 237431.
The Standards You Can Expect
- We will provide access to the study collections, those parts of the collections not on show, by arrangement
- We will provide a lively and varied special exhibitions programme throughout the opening periods of the Art Gallery & Museum
- We will advertise talks, events and workshops widely
- Museum education and community outreach activities will be organised and details will be sent to primary, secondary and special needs schools, centres for people with disabilities and retirement homes and other community groups
- We are constantly striving to improve access for all visitors and try to ensure there are as few barriers as possible to the understanding and appreciation of the museum's collection. We will take into account, as far as possible, the needs of people with physical, hearing and sight disabilities. Please contact us if you have any special requirements. We have an access audit and policy.
Help Us to Help You
We are anxious to receive the views of our visitors and welcome suggestions for improvements. Visitor comment cards are available and may be completed and left in the special boxes provided. We will investigate any comments or questions you have, arrange any remedial action and contact you, either by telephone or by letter, to let you know what has been done. If you have raised a complaint with the Council and remain dissatisfied with our response, you may wish to make a formal complaint. Complaint forms are available at the Art Gallery & Museum or at the main reception in the Municipal Offices, or you may ring the Customer Relations Officer in the Managing Director's Department, (01242-264200) for further information.
Keeping You Informed
We set Key Performance Indicators in our Service Plan, which is published annually.
The Friends of Cheltenham Art Gallery & Museums are an important user group making comments in the interests of an improved service. They also lend assistance to museum activities and provide financial support. (Contact the Chairman or the Hon. Secretary, c/o Cheltenham Art Gallery & Museum).
The Leisure Forum is an annual event where your comments are sought.
If you have any comments or questions about our performance please contact the Museum and Arts Manager.
How to Contact Us
If you wish to write to us, letters should be addressed to:
Museum and Arts Manager or The Information Officer,
Cheltenham Art Gallery & Museum,
Clarence Street,
Cheltenham,
GL50 3JT.
Tel: 01242-237431
Fax: 01242-262334
E-mail: