Our birthday wish:Help us keep this piece of Poole for good
We can’t quite believe it, but it’s already been a year since our major refurbishment. You’re invited to celebrate 365 days crammed with culture, community, and connection at Poole Museum. We have just one birthday wish this year and we need our community to help make it come true.
Poole has a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to permanently secure this iconic masthead sculpture by Jason Wilsher-Mills: a moving monument to love, carers and accessibility.
A prestigious grant of just under £10,000 from the Arts Council England/V&A Purchase Grant Fund has got us halfway to our goal. Now, we need to raise the matching £10,000 this November to keep this poignant piece in Poole forever.
"This modern masthead is dedicated to carers: the unsung heroes of our society. As a disabled person, the spotlight often falls on me, but it’s carers who deserve our recognition and lasting gratitude. This sculpture is my nod to them”
Artist, Jason Wilsher-Mills
This is so much more than a piece of art.
It is a permanent, public thank you to the carers that many people in our community simply cannot live without. Jason calls his work "Trojan Horse art" - it hooks people in with bright colours and humour, before delivering a powerful, emotional message that changes how they think.
If a carer or loved one has ever helped you through choppy times, please consider making a donation today. Help us keep this tribute in Poole forever.
Our birthday wish: To keep culture accessible to all
- Total Target: £20,000
- V&A Purchase Grant Fund: £10,000 UNLOCKED!
- Remaining Community Goal: £10,000
Help us raise the remaining £10K this November to secure the piece for good - the ultimate, colourful candle on Poole Museum’s birthday cake. Bonus: Anything we raise over our target goes straight back into funding Poole Museum Foundation’s vital community outreach and accessibility programmes.
“The Learning and Engagement team are working with local creatives and community groups across the area, creating meaningful opportunities to connect with the exhibition both at Poole Museum and beyond its walls. In December, we’ll welcome a group of BCP Carers for a dedicated workshop, offering time for creativity, connection and valuable respite.”
Victoria Clark, Learning and Engagement Lead
Our first year in numbers
Since reopening our doors after a major transformation, supported by The National Lottery Heritage Fund, Arts Council England, BCP Council, and Historic England, we’ve brought world-class culture to your doorstep.
150,000+ visitors welcomed to experience incredible galleries and exhibitions, including Lucian Freud’s etching collection and the really old logboat
1,250+ people reached through vital, targeted community engagement and outreach programmes.
7,500 hours generously given by our 142 incredible volunteers who keep the museum running.
Because the Poole Museum Foundation operates as a charity, these milestones are only possible thanks to you.
Meet the artist: Why Jason’s sculpture belongs in Poole
Artist Jason Wilsher-Mills, who was recently awarded an MBE for his Services to Art and Disability, shares why this sculpture needs to stay at the heart of our community.
What did this commission mean to you?
“I’ve always done my best work by the sea, so returning to Dorset for this commission felt really natural. When researching the museum’s collection, I was deeply struck by the beauty of ship mastheads. Historically, they served as visual beacons for sailors, but to me, they represent the very soul of a ship.
“This modern masthead is dedicated to carers - the unsung heroes of our society. As a disabled person, the spotlight often falls on me, but it’s carers who deserve our recognition and lasting gratitude. This sculpture is my nod to them, built on the NHS ethos of care 'from cradle to grave'.“
What do you hope people will feel when they see the piece?
"I want children to be excited and enthralled by the colours and the humour. And I want adults to look at it and think, 'Blimey, that feels nostalgic.' The people who cared for me come up a lot in my art. There’s a tapestry for my mum and dad, who cared for me when I was told by doctors I wouldn’t make it to 16 - and here I am at 57. We can’t do enough to thank and recognise what carers do.
“I’ve seen people work out the message within my art and have a really emotional response to it. Two things can be true at the same time: it's funny and accessible, but it's also got a deep, serious message at the centre. That's when art is most interesting."
Why is it so important to engage with groups like young carers?
"Because they're often overlooked, and even someone simply saying 'you're seen' is vital. I’ve never been interested in art about people who have it all. I’m interested in the people who have a story but are forgotten about.
“I come from that community. Disability or young carer responsibilities can cause people to miss out on chances. I'm a successful artist now, but it's about getting the art world to recognise work that has the DNA of the disabled and care communities built in."
There is still time to catch Jason’s vibrant exhibition, Life in Full Colour, at Poole Museum before it closes.
What your donations make happen
Poole Museum Foundation is currently developing a pioneering Museum on Prescription strategy, ensuring the museum actively improves the health and wellbeing of our local community.
Every pound raised above our £10,000 target goes toward funding these life-changing initiatives, including:
• MY TIME Young Carers: Therapy-informed creative writing and art sessions that offer vital respite.
• FLAiM: Aim Community: Weekly specialist visual art and making sessions at the museum for adults with additional needs and learning disabilities.
• Targeted creative programmes for children from disadvantaged areas and young people in alternative educational provision.
Whether you can chip in £10 or £100, donate today to help Poole Museum cross the finish line.
You’re invited to our 1st birthday party!
We’re throwing a big birthday bash on 5 November. Falling on the same night as the famous fireworks on Poole Quay, celebrations will be going off with a bang.
It's your chance to see this brilliant sculpture for yourself, raise the roof for our work in the culture sector, and warm up in our historic building. Keep an eye on our socials for more information, coming very soon.
