Great North Museum: Hancock wins Family Friendly Museum Award

A free-to-visit Newcastle museum has been named Britain's best medium-sized museum for families. Newcastle University's Great North Museum: Hancock won the Medium Museum category at the Family Friendly Museum Awards.

Museums around the country were put forward by visitors, whose suggestions were whittled down from 800 nominations to 15 museums, including the Great North Museum: Hancock . Over the summer, undercover judges visited the Hancock to assess the attractions against their criteria.

The medium category was open to museums with up to half a million annual visitors.

Caroline McDonald, manager at the Great North Museum: Hancock, said: "To say we are over the moon is an understatement! The team love working with and for children and their families, as like them, we believe access to great science and culture offers brilliant life experiences for growing minds.

"We have been working hard on our under 5s programme, creating vibrant and exciting opportunities to ensure our littlest visitors feel at home in the museum – and will continue to visit us in the 22nd century.

"This award is particularly special as it’s voted for by families themselves – we are incredibly grateful for that vote of confidence and look forward to a great year ahead."

The Hancock, on Barras Bridge, Newcastle ,  is home to historical artifacts and natural history pieces, with the largest zoology collection in the North East. Its visitor numbers were boosted this year when the museum hosted the Dippy the dinosaur exhibition , which is on tour around the UK.

Professor Vee Pollock, Dean of Culture and the Creative Arts at Newcastle University , said: "Newcastle University is very proud that the Great North Museum: Hancock has won at the Family Friendly Museum Awards. There is a lot of work throughout the region that is encouraging children and young people’s engagement in arts and culture, and this award is testament to the museum’s leading work in this area.

"The team do a fantastic job of bringing our world-leading research to audiences of all ages."

The museum hosts special events for babies and toddlers throughout the year. The museum also regularly hosts relaxed early openings for visitors with autistic spectrum conditions and their families.

Emmajane Avery, chair of Kids in Museums, said: "To win a category in our most competitive year yet is a fantastic achievement and a testament to the hard work staff have put in to create an enjoyable experience for families. The museum really stood out for its excellent offer for under 5s, as well as its good accessibility."