Supporting Museums This section of the website is aimed at people working, volunteering, supporting or promoting museums. Here you will find information to help run your museum as well information on current projects in Essex that may be of interest. Museums in Essex Committee (MIEC) provides a range of services in the county including: · advice and training · helping museums who are working towards Accreditation standards · quarterly newsletters · a lending library · environmental moniroting equipment for loan · an email discussion group · statistics about Essex museums · obtaining funding · information about local networks · latest project updates · advice about national and regional standards and latest developments in the museum world. We are available to arrange advisory visits to your museum and help you in all aspects of managing a museum, and, if necessary, put you in contact with an appropriate specialist. These are just some of the subjects we are able to advise museums on: · finding funding sources for potential projects · making a funding application · care of collections guidance · copyright in museum collections · emergency planning · charitable status · writing a forward plan · displaying museum objects To find out who to contact about museum advice in your district and book a visit please see the chart below District Emma Hartley Ashleigh Jayes Basildon   All museums Braintree Only local authority museums Independent museums Brentwood  All museums   Castle Point All museums   Chelmsford All museums   Colchester Only local authority museums Independent museums Epping Forest   All museums Harlow   All museums Maldon All museums   Rochford All museums   Southend All museums   Thurrock All museums   Uttlesford   All museums We also provide a range of affordable training seminars for museum volunteers and staff. There are around 8 seminars a year in the county. We also advertise a further 8 events a year for Essex museums which all held in other parts of the East of England through Training East, a regional museum training organisation. They are open to anyone who works in a museum, paid or unpaid. Colleagues from libraries, archives and culture are also welcome places permitting. Subjects past and planned include · documentation · preservation of collections · marketing · display · designing web sites · volunteer recruitment and management · museum insurance · funding MIEC also provides guidance about the Accreditation Scheme for Museums and Galleries. This is a minimum standards scheme which all museums are invited to apply. Currently 32 museums have achieved this standard in Essex, they vary from small volunteer organisations to large professionally staffed museums. The scheme covers 4 main areas; governance & management, user services, visitor facilities and collections management.