Museum of the Year accolade for Focus Consultants’ project

Focus Consultants is celebrating the news that one of its projects has been named the UK’s museum of the year by the Art Fund charity.

The Royal Albert Memorial Museum in Exeter, which re-opened in December following a £24million renovation, was described by Lord Smith of Finsbury, the chairman of the judging panel, as "quite simply a magical place".

It is the latest in a number of accolades awarded to projects that East Midlands-based Focus Consultants has been involved in.

Last month the £5.4m refurbishment of Tudor House Museum in Southampton picked up the conservation project award at the 2012 RICS South East region awards, and went on to be named as the overall project of the year. The awards are regarded as the ‘Oscars’ of the property world.

Focus Consultants was project manager on both the Tudor House Museum and the Royal Albert Memorial Museum, which picked up £100,000 as the prize for being named museum of the year by the Art Fund charity.

“To say that we are delighted to hear that the Royal Albert Memorial Museum has been named the UK’s museum of the year is a massive under-statement. We are absolutely thrilled for the whole team involved in this project, which was up against some high profile rivals for the award,” said founding partner at Focus Kevin Osbon.

“Royal Albert Memorial Museum has been a big success since it opened last year, attracting thousands of visitors and significant praise. Focus Consultants is proud to have played a role in the development.”

Focus Consultants, which is based at Phoenix Business Park, Nottingham, and has offices at Endeavour Park, Boston, Princess Road East, Leicester, Aubourn, Lincoln, and Holborn, London, was part of the team that helped to secure almost £10million of Heritage Lottery Funding for the scheme, and was also quantity surveyor for the Royal Albert Memorial Museum re-development.

In addition, the company was part of the delivery team for the creation of the Ark Collections Store - a specialist storage facility built to house items of the decorative and fine arts and national history collections.

Run by Exeter City Council, the museum houses a diverse collection featuring a million items. It has attracted more than 200,000 visitors since re-opening in December.

Focus Consultants has worked on many key heritage, cultural and arts developments across the UK, including the recently opened SeaCity Museum in Southampton. The company specialises in creative approaches to securing funding packages and delivering high quality projects across the UK.

Since its creation in 1994, Focus has secured over £800 million of grant assistance, and delivered more than £1 billion of projects and programmes - including enterprise support, innovation, culture, health, regeneration, affordable homes and energy carbon sustainability projects.

Other partners in the Royal Albert Memorial Museum scheme were BAM Construction, architects Allies and Morrison, structural and service engineers BDP, CDM coordinator Northcroft, exhibition consultants Ralph Appelbaum Associates, and exhibition fit out contractors Benbow Ltd.

www.focus-consultants.co.uk

Press release issued by Nottingham PR company Perfect 10 PR www.perfect10pr.co.uk

Awards for Focus Consultants’ museum refurbishment project

Nottingham-based Focus Consultants is celebrating the news that one of its projects has received two accolades in the awards that are regarded as the ‘Oscars’ of the property world.

The £5.4m refurbishment of Tudor House Museum in Southampton picked up the conservation project award at the 2012 RICS South East region awards, and went on to be named as the overall project of the year.

The scheme will now go forward with the other regional finalists to the national award ceremony run by the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors in London later this year.

Focus Consultants, with offices at Phoenix Business Park, Nottingham, Endeavour Park, Boston, Princess Road East, Leicester, Aubourn, Lincoln, and Holborn, London, was the project manager for the refurbishment of Tudor House Museum – a 15th Century Grade 1 listed building and gardens.

“I am absolutely delighted to hear that Tudor House Museum has been named as the conservation project of the year for the south east region by RICS and also its overall project of the year,” said Focus Consultants partner Steven Fletcher.

“The RICS awards are prestigious awards, which shine the light on some of the best projects out there. We are honoured to have been part of the team working on Tudor House Museum, which has five centuries of life under one roof, and which has now been restored and conserved for future generations to enjoy.”

Focus worked with Southampton City Council as project manager on the Heritage Lottery Fund-backed restoration scheme. The museum re-opened last year after nine years of specialist work to conserve, restore and transform the building back to its former glory, and at the same time install the latest audio-video technology to tell the stories behind the building’s unique history.

Focus Consultants has worked on many key heritage, cultural and arts developments across the UK, including the recently opened SeaCity Museum in Southampton and Exeter’s Royal Albert Memorial Museum and Art Gallery, which opened at the end of last year.

The company specialises in creative approaches to securing funding packages and delivering high quality projects across the UK. Since its creation in 1994, Focus has secured over £800 million of grant assistance, and delivered more than £1 billion of projects and programmes - including enterprise support, innovation, culture, health, regeneration, affordable homes and energy carbon sustainability projects.

Other partners in the Tudor House Museum scheme were architects Purcell Miller Tritton LLP and exhibition designers Exhibition Plus.

Photo of Tudor House Museum courtesy of Southampton City Council.

www.focus-consultants.co.uk

Press release issued by Perfect 10 PR www.perfect10pr.co.uk