Since it opened fully in 1999 the museum has developed a reputation for the quality of its displays and its excellent exhibition programme. This achievement has been recognised by full registered status, loans from national museums, including the Tate Gallery and the V&A, inclusion in the
National Maritime Museum pilot touring exhibition scheme and, most recently, by the award of a major
Heritage Lottery Fund grant (10% match funding provided by NFDC) to develop the museum's lifelong learning services. The St. Barbe Museum + Art Gallery project first began to take shape in 1988 with the formation of the Friends of Lymington Museum who began to campaign for a museum for the town. The following year the Friends began collecting objects which now form part of a varied collection numbering several thousand objects. In 1992 the Lymington Museum Trust was set up and began the serious business of developing a museum for Lymington and district. The major breakthrough came when
New Forest District Council provided an old school building in New Street and Hampshire County Council Museum Service assisted with the employment of a full-time curator. The Museum in a Room, the museum shop and a Visitor Information Centre opened in 1995. With the aid of a Heritage Lottery Fund grant, work began on creating the present museum displays and art galleries. The latter opened in 1997 and a continuous exhibition programme has been running since April 1998. The museum displays opened in March 1999 and received 2,000 visitors on the first day. The museum is now concentrating on developing its educational resources and services and the employment of an Education & Access Officer will be a vital part of a project to encourage schools, adult and informal learners to use the museum. The museum is also playing an increasingly important role in the wider New Forest museum and arts community. ==See also==