A ROSE by any other name would not smell as sweet for the Museum of Cannock Chase!

It also means visitors can be assured of a smile when they arrive because it is given in recognition of attractions that provide a warm welcome to visitors and ensure they have a great experience.

The award follows the VisitEngland Quality Assurance inspection which took place in the summer where the museum scored 91% – placing them in the top ten percent of visitor attractions in England.

Because of the high score, inspectors then put forward the museum for the Welcome Accolade. And members of the team proudly collected the award at a special event in the New Forest this week.

Lee Bellingham, Museum Manager from Inspiring Healthy Lifestyles who manages the museum on behalf of the council, said: “There are a lot of happy, smiling people at the museum – as always – because we are absolutely delighted to receive this award.

“We were thrilled with the score from the assessors earlier this year, and this is the cherry on the top. It confirms what every visitor knows – that you can be sure of a warm welcome and happy experience when you visit us.”

First introduced in 2014, Accolades are given to those businesses in VisitEngland quality schemes which have gone the extra mile in providing a quality visitor experience.

To receive an ‘Accolade’ tourism businesses must be a member of the tourism body’s Visitor Attraction Quality Scheme and nominated by a VisitEngland assessor.

Lady Victoria Borwick, Chair of VisitEngland Advisory Board and former Member of Parliament for Kensington awarded the certificate to thrilled museum’s Visitor Services Officer, Stacey Palmer and Visitor Services Assistant, Amanda Skipp at a special event at the National Motor Museum in the New Forest.