Resilience and ambition: MGS publishes 2025-26 Annual Review and Climate Report
We have published our Annual Review and Climate Report for 2025-26, highlighting our diverse responsibilities as the national development body for Scotland’s museum sector and our continued delivery against the aims of Scotland’s Museums and Galleries Strategy.
The Annual Review outlines MGS’ grant-making, finances, core activity, and partnership work. It features a range of key organisational achievements, including the launch of the Museum Futures programme and Protection Through Connection – two pioneering programmes of funding and support. The review also highlights the progress of the Delivering Change programme which is now in its second year with Museum Transformer and Activist participants having completed their anti-racism training. As a participating organisation, MGS shared an anti-racism action plan at the beginning of this year and piloted an approach to embedding anti-racism training for new staff.
In 2025-26 MGS:
- Awarded 190 grants through 13 funding streams supporting 111 organisations with a total amount of £6,506,522
- Engaged over 100 museum organisations with the Museum Futures programme, achieving national reach across all regions of Scotland
- Delivered 17 Modern Apprenticeships
- Provided a total of 51 learning opportunities to 112 organisations
- Delivered 30 one-to-one employability surgeries
- Visited 82 museums, providing advice and support
- Welcomed 242 delegates to our annual Strategy Symposium
- Launched a national advocacy campaign ahead of the 2026 Scottish Parliament elections
- Appointed a new Chair to the Recognition Committee
- Retained Gold Accreditation from Investors in People
These achievements are the result of a genuinely collaborative effort among MGS staff, Board members, stakeholders and the sector workforce. We continue to listen, engage, and learn this year through the midpoint review of Scotland’s Museums and Galleries Strategy, and work with partners to realise our shared ambition for an inclusive, innovative, and resilient museum sector.
Lucy Casot, CEO
In addition to the Annual Review, MGS has published a Climate Report for 2025-26 which outlines the efforts of MGS and the museum sector to take climate action through training, programming, partnerships, and sustainable practice. Some highlights from this include the launch of the MGS Climate and Nature Planning Course which helps museums understand climate and nature as tools for building organisational resilience. In its first year the course has received a positive response, with museums across the country participating, from The Tall Ship Glenlee in Glasgow to Tarbat Discovery Centre in Portmahomack.
