Thanks to enthusiastic visitors nominating and voting for Tilford’s museum of country life, the Rural Life Centre is proud to announce that it has been chosen by the award panel from over 140 nominated museums to appear in the list of the top twenty.

“It’s the thrill of the real that visitors were looking for in this year’s entries for the Telegraph Family Friendly Museum Award,” says the Kids in Museums website http://kidsinmuseums.org.uk/awards, “But the very best family friendly museums don?t only let us look at their collection, but handle and hold it too. Children are no longer being told off for stroking the stuffed walrus or creaking open the wooden tea chest. Instead they’re being positively encouraged to do so.”

“It’s great to see Rural Life on the longlist for the Telegraph Family Friendly Museum Award. We had more nominations than ever this year, so the competition was very tough. It’s a tribute to their commitment to being family friendly which means they’ve made it this far. Families particularly pointed out the imaginative and exciting activities on offer – from putting out an imaginary roof fire to making plaster casts of fossils. It just goes to show how important museums can be in our communities. Good luck to Rural Life for the next stage,’ says Dea Birkett, Director, Kids in Museums.”

The 20 listed museums now go forward to be judged by a panel of experts chaired by Jenny Abramsky of the Heritage Lottery Fund to produce a shortlist which will be announced in early July.

Then the shortlisted museums will be “road-tested” anonymously by real families to determine the eventual winner. Families wishing to get involved in the final judging round are invited to contact the panel through the Kids in Museums website.

Last year the award was won by Haslemere Educational Museum so let’s hope the unique Rural Life Centre can keep the award in the local area this year.