Aberdeenshire Council have rewarded the “enthusiasm” of a popular visitor attraction with a funding boost for an expansion.
The team at the four-star Grampian Transport Museum in Alford were praised by councillors at yesterday’s policy and resources committee, and members agreed to award two year’s worth of funding at once.
The move will allow the team at the museum to push on with their plans to modernise their visitor reception, and create an education space, display area and cafe.
Committee chairman Martin Kitts-Hayes said he was pleased the council was able to support such a popular landmark.
He added: “When I visited the Grampian Transport Museum I was hugely impressed by the enthusiasm and professionalism of the staff.”
The centre receives £22,500 in grant aid from the council every year to provide learning opportunities.
Councilors unanimously backed the move to sign off on handing the 2016/17 and 2017/18 payments over in advance to support the delivery of the project. This will be complemented by a £15,000 fund from VisitScotland.
Last night museum curator Mike Ward said his team are grateful for the support and confidence of the local authority.
“We’re really pleased,” he said. “It’s really good of the local authority to lend support to the museum, it’s nice to know that a really big organisation is appreciative of what we do and are prepared to lend a helping hand.”
Mr Ward said the modernisation of the visitor centre would help Grampian Transport Museum keep up with, and hopefully overtake, other modern visitor attractions.
He added: “Our audience is becoming ever more sophisticated and they’re exposed – everywhere they go – to more sophisticated visitor experiences. We have to be close to the front and the facility we create this winter will make a fantastic first impressions.”
VisitScotland have said they will promote the museum, which opened in 1982, to a five-star facility if the front entrance is given the much-needed upgrade.
So far the museum’s team has raised £210,000 of its goal and are determined the facility to be upgraded by the 2016 season, when a new programme of events targeting motoring fans of all ages will be launched.