Up to 50 Jobs to go at Ironbridge museums

Telford Live has learned that around 50 staff members are likely to be made redundant from their roles at Ironbridge Gorge Museum Trust.

The news comes after a grant of £9 million from the government was announced to help with the transfer of the organisation to the National Trust to secure the long-term future of the historic locations.

At the announcement, we asked Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy about the future for staff and volunteers.

There are currently around 247 people employed by the Ironbridge Gorge Museum Trust and 188 roles are currently inside a consultation period.

 Paul Forecast, Regional Director for the National Trust in the Midlands and East of England, said “Safeguarding this globally important site and ensuring the Ironbridge Gorge museums can remain open to visitors, is the priority for the Ironbridge Gorge Museum Trust (IGMT) and the National Trust. 

“Financial challenges faced by the heritage sector means difficult decisions have had to be made, resulting in the National Trust agreeing to take on the management of IGMT sites from March 2026.

“As a conservation charity ourselves, and as with any transfer of this nature, we need to consider all costs including reviewing staff structures and streamlining processes. We will do this whilst supporting a visitor offer that will continue to appeal to loyal visitors and extend its reach to new audiences. 

“A formal consultation has been launched with affected IGMT staff, and all IGMT staff and volunteers have been invited to provide feedback on the proposals. 

“We appreciate this is a very difficult time and we are working closely with IGMT to support everyone involved. 188 staff are affected by the consultation, and the proposals are to make approximately 50 people redundant.”

The National Trust is currently in the process of cutting 550 roles across the country. 

A meeting for staff is reportedly planned for February.

The Ironbridge Gorge Museum Trust has faced a tough economic environment recently. Visitor numbers have not returned to the levels seen before the pandemic.National Trust members will be able to visit the sites for free once the transfer is complete.

The trust will take over ten museums and 35 listed buildings.