The Helena Thompson is both a museum and a community venue serving the town of Workington and the surrounding area.
This elegant Georgian house is a Grade II listed building was bequeathed to the town by the late Helena Thompson. Originally the building was in the care of the local authority but it is now managed by Workington Heritage Group under licence from Allerdale Borough Council.
The museum, which is accredited by the Arts Council, reflects the area’s history, industry, culture and social life through displays, interactive audio and visual information units and digital information. More than just a museum, the Helena Thompson is now home to groups with a wide variety of interests and activities and is a popular venue for wedding ceremonies, children’s days, exhibitions, parties, concerts and other events.
An interactive virtual tour of the museum is available to view on a tablet for anyone unable to use the stairs to the first floor.
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We are very proud to announce that in 2016 the Helena Thompson volunteers were awarded the ‘Queens Award for Volunteers’ and were included in the Queens Birthday Honours list.
This award is the equivalent of an MBE for volunteers. Presentation of the Award by the Lord Lieutenant of Cumbria was made to Pat Martin, one of our long serving volunteers, and Stephen Jones, another valued volunteer together with Sue Hayman, local Member of Parliament.
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Recent News
Northwest Brides Finalist
Wonderful news - we are a finalist in The County Bride Awards. Thank you to all who voted for us and thanks to Tricia and our hard-working team of volunteers,…
Arts Council Accreditation Award
We have been working with the Arts Council to renew our Accreditation Award, which we have held for a number of years. Confirmation has now been received that the Helena…