The Gurkha Museum Capital Appeal
The Gurkha Museum
For over 200 years, Gurkha soldiers, recruited from Nepal, have loyally served this country. Reliable estimates suggest that over that period between 350,000 and 400,000 Gurkhas have served , many making the ultimate sacrifice. More than 90,000 served worldwide during the First World War, with some 6000 giving their lives. Around 120,000 served in every major land theatre of the Second World War, with around 8000 killed. In both World Wars, many thousands more were seriously wounded. This service and sacrifice for Britain continues today with Gurkha soldiers and units participating in all major British Army operations this century. 14 members of Gurkha units lost their lives on operations in Afghanistan between 2002 and 2014. More recently, solders from the Brigade have been deployed on Operation RESCRIPT, military support to the Government’s efforts to counter the Covid-19 pandemic. Throughout their history, Gurkhas have been recognised with the highest awards for bravery, including a total of 26 Victoria Crosses, (13 to British Officers and 13 to Gurkha soldiers and officers).
The Gurkha Museum preserves the heritage of the Brigade of Gurkhas and tells this story to the British public.
The Museum was established in the 1970s at Church Crookham. Until then, no Gurkha units had been permanently based in the UK and there was no museum to commemorate and celebrate their service, sacrifice and heritage. The Museum was redeveloped and moved to its current promises in the late 1980s, opening in 1990. Today, it occupies Ministry of Defence (MOD) facilities on a 30 year lease, incepted in March 2022. It receives some financial support from the MOD in the form of Grant-in-Aid, one full time member of staff (civil service) and other support in kind. The remainder of its funding comes from visitor admissions, commercial operations (retail and facility hire), grants and donations.
When the Museum was last redeveloped, Nepal was a Hindu Kingdom; the Brigade of Gurkhas was almost entirely based outside of the UK (predominantly in Hong Kong) and, with its roots in British India, was closely associated with Imperial and Colonial Service. There was no Nepali community in the UK. Today, Nepal is a secular democratic republic; the Brigade of Gurkhas is largely based in the UK (there is a battalion permanently stationed in, and paid for by, Brunei). Nepali families often accompany serving Gurkhas and settle in the UK. There is an extensive and growing Nepali diaspora in the UK, generally concentrated in a small number of locations, mainly in the South of England (Kent, Berkshire and Hampshire). Several of these are in the Government’s Tier One locations for its ‘Levelling-Up’ agenda.
Although MOD financial support is regarded as secure in the short to medium term (next 5 years, at very least) and in-kind support in terms of premises and facilities secure in the longer term (notably a rent-free lease for 30 years), this cannot be relied upon indefinitely. The Trustees’ aim is to be financially independent.
The current collections introduce visitors to Nepal, its people and culture. But we recognise this reflects Nepal as it was when the Museum was last redeveloped in the late 1980s; it does not properly reflect Nepal today, which is the context for the recruitment and service of today’s Gurkha soldiers. Moreover, the story it tells of Gurkha service ceases, in anything but a cursory way, with the Falkland Islands conflict of 1982, the most recent operation to involve Gurkha soldiers at the time of the Museum’s redevelopment. Gurkha soldiers have played a full part in all subsequent British Army operations and this is not yet fully reflected in the displays.
There is, then, above all else, a strong need for renewal; to re-interpret the current collection in accordance with modern expectations and standards; to bring the story fully up to date; and to facilitate telling the ongoing story of the currently serving brigade, now and in the future.
Secondly, we fully recognise a need to reach wider and more diverse audiences. We are particularly conscious of an interested potential audience in Nepal, and in the growing Nepalese diaspora in Britain. However, the lockdowns resulting from the Covid-19 Pandemic also introduced us to the value and power of online content and activity in reaching new audiences and growing established ones, so we wish to accelerate plans to enhance our digital capacity. This includes an ambition to make our entire collection, objects, images and documents, available to all through a digital archive. We are particularly keen to engage younger audiences, both generally and through the formal education sector. Work is needed to match our offering to the National Curriculum and to make our collection relevant and accessible to a wider range of young people, regardless of background.