Winners Announced at 2020 Cornwall Heritage Awards
Museums across Cornwall and The Isles of Scilly took part in an online celebration, where 10 museums celebrated success, at the Cornwall Heritage Awards which took place via Zoom on 21st October 2020.
The Awards were due to take place at the Royal Cornwall Showground in March but were rescheduled due to lockdown restrictions and held digitally for the first time. Over 100 attendees from Bude to the Isles of Scilly logged on to the event hosted by BBC Radio Cornwall’s Daphne Skinnard.
“This was an inspiring event, which was an honour to host. It was excellent to recognise those who are working hard to preserve and showcase the unique heritage of Cornwall in places from the Isles of Scilly to Bude. Congratulations One and All.” Daphne Skinnard, Assistant Editor BBC Radio Cornwall.
Winners
Mevagissey & District Museum won the Innovation Award for their Septimus ‘Some Seal’ Exhibition.
William Emmett of Newquay Heritage Museum picked up the One to Watch young volunteers’ category for his outstanding contribution to Newquay Heritage Archives & Museum’s digital channels.
PK Porthcurno and The Castle Heritage Centre, Bude, both triumphed with awards for their contribution to the Environment and Circular Economy, for their projects to improve natural biodiversity and their active promotion of environmental practise respectively.
Wheal Martyn China Clay Museum were victorious with an Award for Wellbeing for their numerous initiatives, as did Saltash Heritage for their innovative celebration of their volunteers.
The Mucker and Loco Restoration team from Geevor Tin Mine Museum secured the Heritage Heroes Award for their enthusiastic work to bring mining machinery back to working order.
The Tamar Protection Society won Best Festival, Event or Exhibition for their Tudor Afternoon at Mary Newman’s Cottage.
The Isles of Scilly Museum succeeded to win the Community Initiative Award for their Pop-Up Museum project in partnership with the Five Islands School.
Newquay Heritage Archive & Museum won the Judges’ Special Award for their consistent commitment and passion for Cornish Heritage across a range of projects and new initiatives.
The 202o Cornish Object of the Year, voted for by over 2500 public votes, was announced as the 15th century Mounted Horsemen Ridge Tiles from Padstow Museum, who are said to gallop around the Market Square when the clock strikes midnight.
Not only did the museums receive the accolade of winning the award, they were also presented with a cash prize of £1000 to help support any work or projects they wish to develop.
The Cornwall Heritage Awards have been developed to commend museums and heritage organisations’ achievements, celebrate what makes them so special and to give those unsung heroes their greatly deserved moment in the spotlight. The Awards have been organised by Cornwall Museums Partnership in collaboration with South West Museum Development, and were made possible by sponsorship from Cornwall Council, PH Media and Tevi Cornwall.
Cornwall Museum Development Officer, Stephanie Clemens, comments: “We were determined that the Heritage Awards could still go ahead this year to celebrate our heritage organisations and remind ourselves of all the wonderfully inspiring work they do as a community in Cornwall. This positivity shone through even in a virtual setting. We were delighted to welcome attendees from all over Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly, as well as the rest of the country. The camaraderie and enthusiasm of the whole heritage community was a joy to experience.”