A community group has taken its first steps along the road to saving the Curtis Museum in Alton from closure.

The threat of it shutting first emerged in January 2024 when Hampshire County Council, the top funder of the Hampshire Cultural Trust which runs the museum, announced it planned to cut £600,000 from its £2.5 million annual grant to the trust by 2027.

In July last year trust chief executive Paul Sapwell said no final decision had been made but added that the museum ran at a deficit each year and did not have ongoing financial support from East Hampshire District Council or Alton Town Council.

Speaking on Tuesday, Alton Town Council town clerk Tom Horwood said: “The Hampshire Cultural Trust, which runs the Curtis Museum on behalf of Hampshire County Council, has not approached Alton Town Council for any kind of funding support for the museum over the last year.”

Mr Sapwell said the museum needed investment to thrive and the trust was keen to talk to any local group or partner who wanted to help secure funding to keep it open.

Such a group has now emerged in the form of the Curtis Museum Community Partnership.

On May 20 it launched a Save Alton’s Museum petition at openpetition.org which has already attracted 446 signatures.

The museum holds priceless artefacts, documents and exhibits about Alton and its surrounding villages. It also runs educational programmes, guided tours and exhibitions.

The Curtis Museum Community Partnership said its closure would mean “the loss of an important cultural and educational resource”.

Acting chairman Ian Holliday added: “The Curtis Museum Community Partnership was set up a few months ago with the express objective of saving Alton's Curtis Museum from closure.

“We are at the start of what is likely to be a bit of a journey.”