Member Event with Richard Evans, Director of Beamish Museum

As director of Beamish Museum since 2008, Richard Evans is the catalyst and leader responsible for moving the museum forward from a period of financial uncertainty to become one of the best open air museums in the world.

Richard joined the business as the country entered recession. With an operational deficit of £250,000 from a turnover of £4m, and at a time when cuts from local authority funding were a certainty, the financial future of the attraction looked bleak.

Cutting costs, re-investing, developing, driving change and implementing new business processes across the entire organisation have resulted in resounding success.

Visitor numbers have doubled, employee numbers have increased from 180 to more than 400 and volunteering time has rocketed from 9,000 hours a year to nore than 45,000.

The future now looks bright for one of the North East’s most loved tourist attractions as Richard plans to deliver a £23m masterplan by 2025, and his success hasn’t gone unnoticed. Alongside Beamish, Richard’s expertise and creative thinking have led to positions on the National Museum Directors’ Council and to become Chair of the Association of Independent Museums.

Your tram awaits to take you back in time to hear the story of the future for this top North East attraction.