Working With Manchester Jewish Museum

Robin Burman of HLF Berry Solicitors will be providing pro bono legal services for the grant by the Heritage Lottery Fund for The Manchester Jewish Museum’s development project.

Manchester Jewish Museum has received a £2.89m National Lottery grant and will go ahead with a large-scale development scheme – and Robin Burman will be involved in the legal work for the finalisation of the grant, free of charge.

“The museum’s grant will go towards its £5m development project that will result in it doubling in size with a shop, café, learning space and an almost-three-times bigger gallery space built in an extension next to the existing building,” says Robin Burman.

“Here at HLF Berry we have a long association with Manchester Jewish Museum which spans over 30 years, so it is exciting to be involved in this project that will see a brilliant new extension for the museum together with a complete restoration of the historically significant synagogue.”

Max Dunbar, Chief Executive Officer at Manchester Jewish Museum, says: “We are delighted to be working with HLF Berry on our exciting development project. Robin Burman is working closely with us to ensure we meet legal requirements of our funders, most notably the National Lottery. HLF Berry is now playing a valuable role in our plans, helping us create a bigger and better Jewish Museum in Manchester.”

Manchester Jewish Museum

The museum has at its core the city’s oldest synagogue, and houses more than 30,000 objects that help tell the tale of Jewish Manchester and beyond, including the Holocaust and Jewish identity.

Robin Burman comments: “The museum is a stunning example of nineteenth-century architecture and is culturally hugely important. The Grade II* listed synagogue will be restored and repaired as part of the project, and a large extension will be added to it, all designed to enhance visitor experience and to protect the fantastically significant museum for future generations.”

The Importance Of Community

Visitor numbers for the museum have increased since 2011 and it’s recently been listed as one of the UK’s Top 10 small museums by The Times. Manchester Jewish Museum is important to the city and far beyond, and has a great deal to teach visitors about the Jewish community.

“It’s always particularly rewarding when we’re able to give back to the community by providing legal services pro bono, and working with the museum throughout its development project will be our absolute pleasure,” adds Robin Burman.

“We can’t wait for the building work to begin and to see the new museum unveiled.”

Planning permission for the development work was recently approved by Manchester City Council and the building and restoration work will start at the end of 2018. The existing museum will remain open until autumn 2018, when it will close for the development work, and the new museum will open in the summer of 2020.

During the development project, the museum will relocate to Manchester Central Library with a so-called pop-up Jewish Museum.

To find out more about this exciting development project HLF Berry is assisting with, or for legal advice on your own commercial property and charity matters, please contact our specialist Commercial Law solicitors at our Chorlton office on 0161 860 7123 or our Failsworth office on 0161 681 4005 or email info@hlfberry.com