We are the Friends of Blake Museum
Thank you for visiting our website. The Friends of Blake Museum is a registered charity dedicated to supporting, promoting and preserving Bridgwater’s Blake Museum for future generations.
Since our formation in 2000, we have worked alongside the museum to raise funds, support volunteers and help deliver heritage education to the local community, acquiring registered charity status along the way.
Our role
In our early years, the Friends provided advice and fundraising support to help the museum meet its objectives. Today, we continue to raise funds and champion the museum’s development.
In 2009, ownership of Blake Museum transferred from Sedgemoor District Council to Bridgwater Town Council. Until then, the museum had several paid employees. From 2009 onwards, it became fully volunteer-run on a day-to-day basis.
Volunteers have played a vital role in keeping the museum open to the public. This has included the work of the volunteer curator, custodians and key holders. Opening hours would have been severely limited without their support.
Volunteers have also maintained and funded the museum garden, as well as carrying out minor maintenance work, such as decorating.
After the handover, the Friends and other volunteers were much involved in refurbishing the building and modernising the displays. This involved making repairs to the structure, rewiring, and redecorating. WiFi was also installed throughout the building.
Old-fashioned wooden display cases were replaced by those of modern design with LED lighting, and old artefact descriptions were replaced with texts written in a consistent modern typeface. All this brought an air of professionalism to the museum.
A new chapter in 2026
In 2026, Blake Museum enters an exciting new era. Following the retirement of the volunteer curator, Bridgwater Town Council will employ a Museum and Heritage Officer.
The Friends will continue to fundraise, support the new Museum and Heritage Officer, and provide the resources needed to keep the museum open.
Supporting the museum’s future
During 2025, volunteers gave an impressive 4,165 hours of their time, allowing the museum to open, operate, and welcome visitors throughout the year.
The Friends have also raised significant funds, which are being held in reserve for a major future project: the restoration of the attached medieval mill.
Restoring the mill will enable the museum to expand and improve its facilities, while enhancing the visitor experience.
Get involved
Blake Museum is always looking for volunteers. Please visit our volunteering page to find out more about becoming a volunteer, a member of the Friends, or both.
We would be delighted to welcome you as a volunteer, member, or supporter as we help shape an exciting new era in Blake Museum’s history.