Why Ironbridge is in the premier league

The Trust, which runs 10 different museums throughout the gorge, has been named as one of the Arts Council's Major Partner Museums.

The renewal of this status means that the trust will receive a whopping £2.2 million funding, split into a funding package of £736,000 per year for the next three years.

It has been honoured with the funding alongside 20 museums across the country – including the Museum of London, Birmingham Museums Trust and the Black Country Museum – cementing the trust's position as one of the UK's best attractions.

Trust chairman Barrie Williams hailed the decision by the Arts Council as a reaffirmation of its position as one of the country's leading museums, with a global reputation for its work and with more than half a million visitors per year.

And Anna Brennand, chief executive of the trust said: "This funding is very important because it supports a lot of activities as part of our work."

The Arts Council's major partner museums qualify for the funding by leading wide programmes of work for schools, families and learning.

They develop care and conservation in the local area, give engaging displays of their collections; focus on becoming sustainable organisations and they improve staff development through workforce training programmes.

As part of its bid, the trust has been developing its collections in terms of the ways they are maintained and use, its leadership roles, its work with children and young people and staff development.

The trust was set up in 1967 and employs over 200 members of staff, has over 500 active volunteers and contributes more than £20m pounds into the local economy.

The Trust operates 10 award winning museums, and cares for 36 historic buildings and Scheduled Ancient Monuments, two Quaker burial grounds, over 100 acres of woodland, nationally designated collections and a library and archive.

Ms Brennand said that its unique way of working had helped it to stand out as a museum – now making it a leading light for others in the industry.

"We're quite entrepreneurial," she explained. "We've always been an independent trust so we don't receive any regular funding from the government or local authorities.

"Since there have been a number of cuts in the public sector, other museums have been looking at our funding structure to draw ideas.

"We've always been known for being entrepreneurial and we're very collaborative with loads of different organisations including schools, colleges, businesses and we also have a very good relationship with Teford & Wrekin Council and the University of Birmingham in particular.

"We were absolutely delighted to find out we had been awarded the funding," said Ms Brennand. "It is such a massive boost.

"This money will go to support a wide range of things, not one really big thing."

The premier league of museums:

• Beamish and Bowes Museum

• Birmingham Museums Trust

• Black Country Living Museum and Coventry Museums

• Bristol City Council

• Derby Museums and Nottingham Museums & Art Galleries

• Horniman Museum & Gardens

• Hull City Council

• Ironbridge Gorge Museum Trust

• Leeds Museums & Galleries

• Manchester City Galleries

• Museum of London

• Museums Sheffield

• Norfolk Museums & Archaeology Service

• Penlees House Gallery and Museum (and six museums in Cornwall)

• Royal Albert Memorial Museum

• Royal Pavilion & Museums, Brighton & Hove

• Tullie House Museum and Art Gallery

• Tyne & Wear Archives & Museums

• University of Cambridge Museums

• Oxford University Museums

• York Museums Trust