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Former director of the National Railway Museum and London Transport Museum joins York Museums Trust Board of Trustees

DATE: 16 November 2020

A former Director of the National Railway Museum and the London Transport Museum has joined York Museums Trust’s Board of Trustees.

Andrew Scott CBE, who is also a Fellow of the Museums Association and a lifelong member of the Yorkshire Philosophical Society, brings 25 years of experience as a museum director and further expertise from serving on cultural industry bodies at national and international level.

Andrew, who lives in York, was also on the Board of the York Tourism Bureau, the city’s former tourism marketing organisation, appointed chairman from 1998 until 2008.

Andrew said: “I’m delighted to be able to join the Board of Trustees of York Museums Trust.  York’s museums are renowned worldwide and have been pioneers in museum development for nearly 200 years. As we begin to emerge from the Covid-19 crisis, it will be this innovative spirit that re-establishes York’s museums and I’m looking forward to being part of the work as we address the challenges ahead.”

James Grierson, Chair of the York Museums Trust Board of Trustees, said: “We’re delighted to welcome someone with Andrew’s experience of the museums world,  both nationally and in York.  This appointment is another endorsement of the importance of York Museums Trust and further underscores the important link between the Trust and the Yorkshire Philosophical Society as it approaches its bicentenary.”

In his new role Andrew will play an integral part in the governance and future strategy of York Museums Trust, which looks after York Castle Museum, York Art Gallery, the Yorkshire Museum and Gardens and York St Mary’s. He joins the board at a challenging time for the charity as it adapts to survive the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Now retired, Andrew Scott originally trained and practised as a Chartered Civil Engineer, working first on Tyneside and then in the home counties and West Yorkshire. At University in Newcastle, his research helped design the tunnelling machines eventually used to construct the Channel Tunnel.

Whilst engaged directly in the world of Civil Engineering, Andrew was active as a heritage volunteer working ‘on the ground’ and as a Board Member and Trustee. This led to appointments in museum development and curation posts in Wakefield and in Bradford before becoming Director of the London Transport Museum where he was responsible for the total redisplay of the Museum and for the expansion of its hugely successful commercial activities

He was appointed as Director of the National Railway Museum in 1994, a role he held for fifteen years before finishing his career with a year as Interim Chief Executive of the NRM’s parent Science Museum Group, responsible for the Science Museum, National Media Museum and National Railway Museum.

Andrew led the National Railway Museum to the European Museum of the Year Award in 2001 and was responsible for new acquisitions including a Japanese Bullet Train and the locomotive Flying Scotsman. He was also instrumental in the creation of the NRM’s new archive and library, opened in 2008 and for developing Locomotion, the NRM’s new branch museum at Shildon in County Durham, which opened in 2004. One of the most successful projects he instigated at the NRM was the partnership with York Theatre Royal which led to The Railway Children: an innovative and award-winning production seen by more than half a million people in York, London and Toronto.

Andrew has been a Board member of York Civic Trust since 2012, Chair from 2015 -2019 and is currently Hon. President. He is Deputy Chair of the North York Moors Historical Railway Trust and a Board Member of the North York Moors National Park Authority. He was awarded the CBE in 2006 for services to museums.