OVER the course of several years, plans for a Redbridge Museum were discussed and debated, eventually leading to an official opening on September 29, 2000 by the Rt. Honourable Chris Smith MP, Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport.

The first year has flown by but, along the way, has celebrated high attendance numbers and an award.

The hard work leading up to that day and the excitement of those who saw the museum for the first time justified all the investment in the project but since then the impact of the Redbridge Museum has exceeded all expectations.

In just one year, the museum has become a focal point for communities, residents and school students, with 25,000 visitors going to see the exhibits or to take part in workshops.

From the beginning, Redbridge Council wanted a museum that brought history to life in a way which had a reality for those who visited it.

A revolution in museums nationwide is creating new and attractive innovations by using high-tech displays and a great deal of radical thinking to make history come alive.

Redbridge has a rich local history, which the council wanted to bring to the attention of young people, new residents and history novices, as well as a place where history buffs could develop their knowledge. The only question was how.

The possibilities began to be explored in 1996 when councillors pledged their support and the funding to make it happen.

The key priorities for the planners were firstly that the museum should provide schoolchildren with an educational facility to support the national curriculum, presenting history as real and interesting.

Secondly, admission should be free. Next on the list was making sure it reflected the real lives and experiences of local people and could, over time, record Redbridge life as the area continues to write its own history.

The museum also had to have built-in inclusivity. Another requirement was to seek out extra funding to add to the substantial amount the council was prepared to invest almost a third of a million pounds.

A key word from the projects inception was partnership. Throughout the planning, design, building and development of the museum it was the partnership ethos which brought Redbridges museum to its official launch in four years.

The project began by consulting people about what they wanted to see in the museum. Ideas came in from people of all ages and cultures, enhanced by the views of the many keen historians living locally.

People wanted information technology to bring information to life: room sets to show how real people lived in the past, artefacts needed to be in a time and daily life context.

Fun courses were needed so pupils could gain a personal and direct understanding of subjects as diverse as fashion and war through the ages.

The second step was to line up the large amount of funding the project needed. The council allocated an overall total of £223,000 but £80,000 of that amount would become available only if a bid to Heritage Lottery proved successful.

The project team, led by Redbridge Councils museum officer Vicky Knapman, prepared its bid and submitted it. In December 1998 the welcome news that the Heritage Lottery would provide a further £182,000 was received.

The immediate education success of the museum rested in the working relationship between the museum team and schools. Education is held in high regard in Redbridge and the development of the museum was of particular relevance to teachers. During the building of the museum, a pack was developed for teachers.

The museum was an instant success for the borough and its achievements continue to be sustained a year on.

Since the official opening, it has been awarded an Interpret Britain award for Outreach, for the quality of its work with different communities.

The museum aims to develop further community projects as well as reviewing the latest technology to identify opportunities to make historical collections more accessible and interesting to the public.