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The brutal reality of austerity Britain will begin to be felt in earnest in England’s most deprived city this week, as Merseyside’s five local authorities collectively deliver the harshest public spending cuts the region has seen for generations.

The five councils – Liverpool, Knowsley, Wirral, Sefton and St Helens – will from tomorrow formally ratify plans that will see their budgets slashed by a fifth (£200 m) shrinking or axing hundreds of services and shedding thousands of jobs.

The Guardian, February 28, 2011

National Museums Liverpool operates in a city which remains the most deprived in the UK. Employment rates, local educational attainment and skills levels are still well below the national average; the welfare bill per capita is the highest in the UK. As the whole country suffers the consequences of a deep recession, and now severe cuts in public expenditure, fragile cities like Liverpool are threatened anew by adverse and profound social consequences.

This is a hugely challenging environment for NML. Locally, people are at risk of suffering from social tensions, lack of social cohesion, anti-social behaviour, loss of confidence and aspiration, pressure on families and relationships, high stress levels.

NML carries a very great responsibility in terms of delivering first class museums that, as part of a wider pattern of cultural provision, can help create “social capital” in the area, enhancing well being, confidence and social connectedness. In a period of recession and public spending cuts this responsibility grows even greater, and NML can help mitigate the social consequences of adverse economic conditions.

We are committed to facing up to this social responsibility, and our determination to provide free access to all of our exhibitions, events and activities, allied with the highest quality standards and enormous variety, is at the core of this commitment.

In doing all this we will:

 widen participation in our activities, thereby fulfilling our social objectives, especially by attracting diverse audiences

 ensure that we offer educational opportunities to people of all ages and backgrounds

 as the major cultural business in the region which is also a prime tourist asset, achieve economic benefits through developing cultural tourism, and by helping build a strong image for Liverpool and the city region

 pursue research programmes that lead to greater knowledge about our collections, and promote the exceptional quality of our collections

 improve our visitors’ experience by upgrading our buildings, displays, and facilities, offering quality and variety

 strive to create an organisational culture that motivates our team and enables us to work effectively and in harmony, acknowledging that it is only through the commitment of staff that we achieve success

 seek actively to increase the diversity of our workforce

 be alert to social, economic and technological change to ensure we remain focussed and relevant

 work in partnership with other agencies – education, arts, business, public bodies

 behave in an ethical manner at all times, promoting sustainable practices

 manage risk in a positive and effective manner

 use our resources wisely and augment them wherever we are able, providing real value for money.

In pursuing a strategy of combining significant audience growth and diversity with the highest levels of professionalism, we acknowledge that this has radically changed the culture of NML, and has created a challenging working environment. This environment is characterised by regular review of the way we do things, by the pursuit of new ideas and methods, and by the constant re-examination of traditional museum practices.

Recent successes in terms of massive audience growth, combined with rising standards of collections care, demonstrate the validity of this approach, and we are determined to continue to pursue this strategy.

Despite current and future funding uncertainties, notably in terms of government finances, it is in our capacity to manage ourselves bravely and imaginatively, and to move forward on many fronts at the same time, that our future value and success lies.

Extract from National Museums Liverpool Strategic Plan 2010–11, issued 23 July 2010.