Full portfolio

2023

Diving Museum:
Funding Application
Historic England grant of £411,000 successfully secured to undertake restoration and conservation of No.2 Battery which houses the Diving Museum.  
Project Management 
Project managing the delivery of the Diving Museum’s NLHF development phase.
Activity Plan
Producing in conjunction with Padmini Broomfield an activity plan to support the Diving Museum’s NLHF delivery phase application.

Hampshire Cultural Education Partnership: Evaluation 
Providing evaluation tools and writing evaluation report for the Gosport Cultural Education Project. 

Museum of East Dorset: Evaluation
Advice, support and writing final evaluation report for the NLHF Revival Project.

Swanage Railway Museum: Evaluation 
Evaluation advice and support, writing final evaluation report for the NLHF Transforming Swanage Railway Museum for the 2020’s.

Didcot Railway Centre: Access Audit
Undertaking an access audit of the site and writing a report with recommendations. 

South East Museum Development: Funding Advice and Support
Providing funding advice and support to museums through one-to-one surgeries and a training workshop,

2022

Touring Exhibitions Group: Funding Application
Securing £480,000 from the ACE Investment Principle Support Organisations (IPSO) grant programme.

Hovercraft Museum: Access Audit, Plan and Policy
Carrying out an access audit of the museum site, including an action plan based on the audit recommendations. Writing an Access Policy.

Amberley Museum: Access Audit and Access Plan
Carrying out an access audit of the museum site and writing an Access Plan based on the recommendations of the audit. 

National Motor Museum, Beaulieu: Evaluation
Developing an evaluation framework, associated tools and writing final evaluation report for the ACE funded Golden Arrow: A shot from the past, aimed at the future project.

Beaminster Museum: Evaluation
Evaluation advice and support, writing final evaluation report for the NLHF Extending Beaminster Museum into the Community project.

New Forest Heritage Centre:
Access Audit and Access Plan
Undertaking an access audit of the Heritage Centre, revising the Access Policy and writing an Access Plan based on the recommendations of the audit. 
Audience Development Plan
Developing an audience development plan and associated action plan based on previously undertaken research.

Diving Museum:
Funding Applications
– Museum Estate and Development Fund (MEND), £100,000 to support capital works to control the internal environment and undertake associated repairs. 
– Capital Investment Programme (CIP) grant of £237,000 to support access improvements to the museum building.
– NLHF development phase application to secure £72,814 of funding.
Employability Strategy
Producing a strategy to support the museum’s work with local partners supporting young and vulnerable people’s paths to employment.

South East Museum Development: Funding Advice and Support
Providing funding advice and support to museums through one-to-one surgeries and a training workshop,

2021

Classic Boat Centre Trust: Evaluation
Advice and guidance on setting up an evaluation framework and developing evaluation tools for the NLHF funded Building Younger Audiences with Digital Sailing.

Arundel Museum Society: Audience Development Plan
Undertaking consultation with current and potential users, and stakeholders to inform the plan and develop an associated action plan.

Sporting Heritage: Audience Engagement and Understanding Research Pilot Programme Report
Carrying out research to understand engagement of audiences with sporting heritage collections across the UK.

Wheels of Time: Funding Application
Writing a successful ACE National Lottery Project Grant application to assist Wheels of Time’s transition to a charity to support organisational change and develop audiences.

Diving Museum: Access Audit
Undertaking audit to support funding applications.

Sporting Heritage: Toolkit
Working with Fran Stovold, developing and writing the Sporting Heritage Toolkit drawing on examples from across the heritage, volunteer, charity and business sectors to to provide best practice advice and guidance on how to manage and care for heritage.

University of Reading’s Art Collection: Evaluation 
Developing an evaluation framework and tools and writing an evaluation report for the Art Fund supported Rubens to Sickert: The study of drawing exhibition and associated programme of activity.

Amersham Museum: Evaluation
Advice and guidance on setting up an evaluation framework and developing evaluation tools for the NLHF funded Amersham Before Plastic project.

South East Museum Development: Funding Advice and Support
Providing funding advice and support to museums through one-to-one surgeries, training workshops, and contributing to the Grant Writing Resources Hub by producing the Grant Writing Toolkit for Museums.

2020

The Brickworks Museum at Burlesdon: Activity Statement and Evaluation Plan
Researching and writing an Activity Statement and Evaluation Plan for the New Foundations Project Stage two NLHF application.

King John’s House: Audience Research and Consultation
With Padmini Broomfield undertaking remote consultation with users and non-users to inform a review of community engagement activities and write report with recommendations.

Arundel Museum: Evaluation
Writing an evaluation report for the Heritage Fund supported Reaching Out project.

Rustington Museum: Evaluation 
Writing an evaluation report for the Heritage Fund supported relocation of Rustington Museum and associated programme of activities.

South East Museum Development: Funding Advice and Support
Providing funding advice and support to museums through 53 one-to-one surgeries.

2019

Rustington Parish Council: Project Manager
Managing the relocation and redisplay of Rustington Museum supported by an NLHF grant.

Articulate: Evaluation
Developing an evaluation framework and writing evaluation report for Haven a ACE funded project.

Diving Museum: Activity and Interpretation Plans
Developing outline plans to support a stage one submission to the National Lottery Heritage Fund (NLHF) for the redevelopment of the Museum.

Take Shelter: Access Audit
Undertaking an access audit on a WW2 Air Raid Shelter.

Elmbridge Museum: Audience Consultation
Facilitating two community consultation sessions to provide evidence for Elmbridge Museum’s audience development plan.

Hastings Museum and Art Gallery: Project Coordinator
Overseeing the coordination of Hastings Remembers a five year NHLF funded First World War commemoration project.

2018

Chichester Community Development Trust: Funding Application
Writing and developing a successful £1.3 million application to the National Lottery Heritage Fund (NLHF) for the restoration and redevelopment of Graylingwell Chapel.

Chichester Community Development Trust: Activity Plan
Working with Padmini Broomfield to write an Activity Plan to support a successful NHLF stage two Heritage Grant application for the Graylingwell Chapel Redevelopment Project.

Volk’s Electric Railway: Evaluation
Working with Padmini Broomfield to carry out an evaluation of the HLF funded redevelopment of the electric railway in Brighton – Saving Volk’s.

Dorset History Centre: Evaluation
Developing an evaluation framework and writing end of project evaluation report for the archive’s HLF Heritage Grant Unlocking the Bankes Archive project.

Charleston: Evaluation
Working with Culture Shift to write evaluation report for the Centenary Project, the HLF supported development of the barn into a gallery.

Apples and Snakes: Evaluation
Writing an evaluation report for the Our Heritage HLF funded Spoken Word Archive project.

Rustington Parish Council: Funding Application
Developing and writing a successful Our Heritage HLF application of £71,400 for the relocation of Rustington Museum.

Learning On My Doorstep: Project Manager
Managing the project, with Fran Stovold, responsible for overseeing the financial management and reporting to ACE.

Hastings Museum and Art Gallery: Project Manager
Project managing Finding Our Place 2 – Delivering the Vision including – delivery of a Business Development Plan, a Collections Review, Marketing Plan and the appointment of consultants and interns for ACE Museum Resilience Grant.

National Paralympic Heritage Trust: Evaluation Plan Review
Providing recommendations to ensure evaluation plan meets needs of Heritage Lottery Fund and other funders.

2017

Army Museums Ogilby Trust: Training
Delivering accessible interpretation training for the ACE funded Army Museums into the Future project. 

Rustington Parish Council: Rustington Museum Relocation Preparation
Project managing the production of a building specification and options appraisal for new location in a refurbished building.

Peter Ashley Activities Centres: Funding Advice and Support
Providing mentoring, advice and training to support the delivery of a HLF Start Up grant.

Chichester Community Development Trust: Project Manager
Project managing Graylingwell Chapel Redevelopment Project including project consultants, mentoring staff and writing a successful first round HLF Heritage Grant application of £145,000. 

2016

Guildford Borough Council Heritage Services: Feasibility Study
Researching the learning potential of Wanborough Barn.

Royal Holloway, University of London: Activity Plan
Supporting the project manager with the research and development of an activity plan for a successful HLF Heritage Grant application.

Hastings Museum & Art Gallery: Project Manager
Project managing Finding our Place – A New Vision for Hastings Museum including project consultants and mentoring staff for ACE Museum Resilience Grant to undertake feasibility scoping and museum development.

Henfield Museum: Access Audit
Undertaking audit to support Accreditation.

Egham Museum: Community Consultation 
Interviewing members of local community and stakeholders to support museum business planning.

Arundel Museum: Audience Consultation
Researching and consultating with community groups and local schools to support development of outreach loan boxes for Reaching Out, a project supported by an HLF Our Heritage grant.

South East Museum Development Service: Access Review
Providing access audit training and mentoring for four Hampshire museums, and producing an access review toolkit.

2015

Outside In: Project Manager 
Managing and evaluating an Our Heritage HLF project Step Up to develop a training programme for people facing barriers to accessing heritage.

Reading Museum Service: Case Study
Researching and writing a case study for ACE funded Reading Engaged, a community consultation project.

Chichester Community Development Trust: Evaluation
Evaluating the Our Heritage HLF funded Graylingwell Heritage Project, and providing mentoring to the project manager.

Dr Jenner’s House: Training
Delivering access audit training.

Affinity Sutton: Funding Application
Researching and developing an HLF Our Heritage application – Who do we think we are?

2014

Surrey Heritage: Project Manager 
Managing with Fran Stovold Learning On My Doorstep – Museums Enriching the Curriculum project, responsible for overseeing the financial management and reporting.

Coultershaw Heritage Site: Learning and Development Officer
Developing the learning and participation elements of the HLF Heritage Grant funded redevelopment project.

Coultershaw Heritage Site: Evaluation
Evaluating the HLF funded redevelopment project.

Hastings Pier Charity: Evaluation 
Developing a framework, delivering training and baseline assessment with Susan Potter for the learning, education and volunteering activity plan for the HLF Heritage Grant funded redevelopment of the Pier.

Reading Museum Service: Audience Consultation
Reviewing Reading Museum’s current and potential audiences to refresh its understanding of its audiences for an ACE Strategic Support Fund project Reading Engaged.

Artists First: Funding Application
Researching and developing a successful HLF Our Heritage application – Celebrating 25 Years of Working with Disabled Artists.

The Jurassic Coast Museums Partnership: Evaluation
Evaluating the ACE Strategic Support Fund project.

South East Museum Development Service:  Network Coordinator
Developing Collaborate SE the South East regional network of museums working with young people funded by Artsworks South East.

2013

South East Museum Development Service: Training
Delivering access interpretation training.

Isle of Wight museums & archives: Training
Delivering access audit training.

South West Museum Development Programme: Review of Small Grants Programme
Reviewing the small grants programme and writing advocacy documents to demonstrate benefits of programme to funders.

Royal Pavilion & Museums, Brighton & Hove: Project Manager
Managing World Stories South East a south-east wide project as part of the Cultural Olympiad on behalf of Royal Pavilion & Museums, Brighton & Hove

2012

South West Museum Development Programme: Training
Delivering access audit training.

Bexhill Museum: Volunteer Management Plan
Developing a volunteer management plan and delivering training for volunteers to implement the plan.

Dorset Museums Association: Website Review
Liaising with partner museums to review and update website content.

Russell Cotes Art Gallery and Museum: Evaluation
Evaluating the In Our Own Words exhibition.

South East Museum Development Service: Evaluation
Evaluating two South East wide projects managed by Hampshire Solent Museum Development Service.

Southampton City Council Arts and Heritage: Evaluation
Evaluating the restoration of the Hamtun Street Mural, an Our Heritage HLF project.

2011

Tuppenny Barn: Access Audit
Undertaking an access audit for an organic growing and learning charity.

Southampton City Council Arts and Heritage: Exhibition Research
Researching content for the Titanic exhibitions at SeaCity Museum.

Southampton City Council Arts and Heritage: Project Coordinator
Working with artist facilitator Louise Bristow on the development and delivery of community workshops leading to an exhibition for the opening of the Tudor House Museum.

Hampshire Museum Service, Burleson Windmill: Volunteer Management Plan and Forward Plan.
Researching and writing plans as part of the organisational review of the Windmill.

ArtRefuge: Organisational Review
Reviewing vision and constitution.

Museums, Libraries and Archives South East: Project Manager
Project managing Skills4Learning a skills development programme for teachers and museum professionals.

2010

Museums, Libraries and Archives South East: Case Studies
Producing five case studies showcasing examples of best practice from Renaissance funded projects in the South East.

South East Museum Development Service: Project Manager
Managing Different Stories: New Perspectives an audience development project working with eight museum to engage with audiences under-represented in their audience profile.

ArtRefuge: Evaluation
Evaluating the ACE Grant funded LOCUS project, an art project working with refugee and asylum seekers.

South East Museum Development Service: Project Manager
Managing Mental Health and Heritage – working in partnership with four museums in Surrey to develop a programme of work with a partner organisation from the mental health sector.

Reading Museum Service: Training and Mentoring
Developing and delivering volunteer management plan training, and providing mentoring support.

Petersfield Museum: Access Audit
Undertaking an access audit.

Redoubt Fortress and Military Museum: Learning Audit
Reviewing and assessing the learning provision to provide recommendations for the development of a learning service.

Renaissance South East: Training Needs Analysis
Researching the training needs of museums across the South East.

2009

Rye Art Gallery: Access Audit
Undertaking an access audit.

Pallant House Gallery: Evaluation
Evaluating the Partners in Art programme.

Reading Museum Service: Evaluation
Evaluating the HLF funded loans service project Out of the Box.

Reading Museum Service: Audience Development Plan
Consulting with user and non-users and writing an audience development plan.

Fishbourne Roman Palace: Access Development Plan
Undertaking an access audit and writing a action plan.

HMS Warrior: Access Audit
Undertaking an access audit.

 

I have known Sonia for many years in her capacity as Museum Development Officer, Access Officer  and Project Manager on other regional projects. I am therefore delighted to have had her manage our countywide Learning On My Doorstep cultural education project – twice now – as I know she has the right expertise to help us bring it to fruition. From the beginning, Sonia has been clear about the parameters of the project, taking time to understand what we want to achieve. Sonia has helped identify pinch points ahead of time, and is able to draw on her many years of experience to shape our ideas and find solutions where necessary. I have felt very comfortable handing over the control of project documentation, progress tracking and budget, all of which she manages in an efficient and timely manner. Equally important is Sonia’s ability to communicate with people at all levels which, with multiple partners and very tight timings, has been vital for our success. This clever juggling act is something Sonia manages with integrity – and bucket loads of patience!

Haidee Thomas

Museums Engagement Officer, Surrey Museums Partnership

You want professional and friendly support to take your project to the next level?

Let’s work together.

 

t: 07941 100699  e: sonia@rasbery.co.uk   |   589 Southleigh Road, Emsworth, Hampshire, PO10 7TE