Arts and heritage experts at Focus Consultants are celebrating the news that one of the museums the company has worked with has been named a finalist in the world’s biggest museum award.

Focus was project manager for the recent redevelopment at Brooklands Museum – one of the UK’s most historically significant sites for motoring, aviation and engineering.

Now it has been revealed that the museum is one of five finalists in the Art Fund Museum of the Year 2018 – the biggest museum prize in the world.

The news has delighted the team at Focus, which has also worked with two previous winners of the award, the Royal Albert Memorial Museum in Exeter, which won in 2013, and the V&A Museum in London, which took the top prize in 2016.

Partner at Focus Consultants, Ellie Clarke, said: “News that Brooklands Museum has been shortlisted as one of five finalists in the prestigious Art Fund Museum of the Year Award is fantastic. It’s the biggest museum prize in the world and a huge achievement to have made it to the final.

“Focus Consultants was proud to have played a key role in the redevelopment at the museum, project managing the scheme and also helping to secure almost £5.5m from The National Lottery for the Brooklands Aircraft Factory and Race Trace Revival Project.

“As a company that has wide experience of supporting arts and heritage organisations with developments and exhibitions, we are thrilled that this is the third museum we have worked with which has made it to the finals of the Art Fund Museum of the Year Award in the last six years. It is great recognition for our clients and a ringing endorsement for the work we undertake in this sector.”

Nottingham-based Focus Consultants, which also has offices in Leicester, London and Boston in Lincolnshire, specialises in delivering high quality heritage projects across the UK and has worked with many of the UK’s key museums.

The company has expertise in a wide range of fields, including project management, funding and economic development, funding applications, economic impact appraisals, business plans, and research and evaluation. Since 1994 Focus has also secured for clients more than £1 billion of grants for projects and businesses across the UK and delivered more than £1.9 billion worth of projects and programmes – making it one of the most successful businesses of its kind in the country.

In addition, Focus offers a range of services to the property and construction industry, including building surveying, project management and sustainable development support.

Art Fund Museum of the Year seeks out and celebrates innovation and exceptional achievement in museums and galleries across the UK. The overall winner receives £100,000, with £10,000 presented to each finalist to support future activity.

Brooklands Museum, based at Weybridge, unveiled three outstanding projects in 2017: The Brooklands Aircraft Factory, the Flight Shed and the restoration of it historic Finishing Straight. It has also been shortlisted in the permanent exhibition category of the 2018 Museum and Heritage Awards, the final of which is on the 16th May.

For more information about Focus Consultants, visit www.focus-consultants.com.