The hard work and dedication of volunteers over the past 20 years was praised last week when the Arts Council England bestowed full accreditation upon Penryn Museum which opens the doors to future funding and advice.

To qualify for full accreditation, the museum had to meet nationally approved standards on how it is managed, the services it offers and how it cares for its collection of artefacts some of which hark back to the early days of Penryn.

Town mayor Gill Grant said: “This is an exciting day for Penryn Town Council and for Penryn Museum. I have to thank Eric Dawkins because many, many years ago, Eric set up the museum as we know it today and Jo (Mattingley) who has helped over the last 20 years.

“However, we could not have achieved any of this if it had not been for the volunteers who have helped in the museum and Shirley (Richards) who does everything.”

Jo Mattingley, Museum Development Office for Mid-Cornwall who acted as Penryn Museum’s mentor during the accreditation process, said: “This is an immense achievement – lots of people have done their bit and continue to do their bit. It’s just superb as it’s a voluntary effort, pretty much.”

Also at last week’s celebration was Sam Hunt, of the Association of Independent Museums who had officially opened the new-look Penryn Museum back in the 1990s. He said of the accreditation: “It’s no mean achievement, knowing what you have to go through to get accreditation – well done.

“Having got this award, you now have avenues open to you. What accreditation will enable you to do is get all the grant support and advice that is open to you and open up relationships with other museums.

“Penryn Museum has such a charm of its own, just like a museum should. You never know what you are going to see next – it is huge fun.