The Weald and Downland Living Museum cuts 20 per cent of staff due to financial impact of pandemic

The Weald and Downland Living Museum in West Sussex has made one in five of its employees redundant after facing ‘severe financial strain’.

The independent charity is dependent on ticket sales, events and venue hire – all of which were curtailed by the pandemic leading to a ‘dramatic loss of income’.

Museum director, Simon Wardell, said the decision has been made to ‘safeguard the future of the museum’.

He added: ‘To take these actions has been saddening for us all but unavoidable. However, we are obligated to take these steps to protect the future of the museum and the work that is carried out here.’

The open-air museum reopened to the wider public on Monday July 6 with strict safety measures and social distancing guidelines.

Mr Wardell added: ‘We really need the support of the public in order to get through these uncertain times.’

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