Valence House Museum in Dagenham has been shortlisted for the Kids in Museums Family Friendly Museum Award, announced today.

Charity Kids in Museums has run the prestigious annual award since 2004, recognising the most family friendly heritage sites in the UK. It is the only museum award to be judged by families.

From late March to early June, families across the UK voted for their favourite heritage attraction on the Kids in Museums website. A panel of museum experts then whittled down hundreds of nominations to a shortlist of 18 heritage attractions.

Valence House Museum is up against four other museums in the small museum category.

The Kids in Museums shortlisting panel were impressed with the warmth and enthusiasm of the family nominations that Valence House received and highlighted that it is clear the museum is hugely valued by the local community.

Councillor Saima Ashraf, Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Community Leadership and Engagement, said: “We are so pleased that Valence House Museum has been shortlisted for this fantastic Family Friendly Museum Award – a big thank you to everyone who took the time to nominate us.

“We know so many families enjoy visiting year after year, and it’s especially great to see our younger visitors growing and changing as they learn new skills, make new friends, and create memories with us.

“We look forward to the next stage of judging, and in the meantime, we hope to welcome familiar and new faces to explore what Valence House has to offer.”

Over the summer holidays, the museum will be visited by undercover family judges who will assess the shortlisted museums against the Kids in Museums Manifesto, a set of guidelines on what makes a great museum visit for all ages. Their experiences will decide a winner for each award category and an overall winner of the Family Friendly Museum Award 2023. The winners will be announced at an awards ceremony in October.

Valence House was voted by the Guardian newspaper as one of the 50 best free things to do in London. The only surviving manor house in Dagenham, dating back to Medieval times, it is still partially surrounded by a moat. Following extensive refurbishment in 2010, exciting galleries tell the story of Barking and Dagenham and its people throughout the ages, utilising the core collection of around 20,000 objects.

Along with the museum, visitors enjoy the tranquil herb garden, Dig for Victory plot, Tulip Tree Tearoom and Archives and Local Studies Centre. An extensive year-round programme of events keeps all the family entertained, from cupcake decorating and archaeology to gardening, ziplining teddy bears and everything in between!

The Family Friendly Museum Award has been made possible by funding from Arts Council England.