YOUR MEMBERSHIP

We are working hard to put measures in place following government guidance so that we can provide a safe place for everyone to enjoy the Museum. We are aiming to open in August and hope to be able to confirm an opening date in the next few weeks. As Members, we will be in touch with you directly with further updates and details.

We miss all of our Members and cannot wait to welcome you back to enjoy our inspiring collections.

A message from our Director

Portrait of Ashmolean Director Dr Xa Sturgis 2020

Your support as Members is more important now than ever.

The Ashmolean’s doors have been open since 1683, so it was difficult to close them earlier this year. However the health and safety of our visitors, students, staff and volunteers is paramount, and we have decided to follow government Coronavirus (Covid-19) guidelines and close the Museum until further notice. We will be reviewing this and keep you updated by email.

Your support as Members is more important now than ever. In light of this disruption, we will extend your membership for three months initially (from 19 March*), and this will be reviewed as the national situation develops. You will continue to receive Members' mailings from us, and you will be kept up-to-date with the Museum's plans, including news of when we will be reopening and details about our fantastic programme of exhibitions.

It is hard being closed at the very moment when we are all most in need of the perspective, inspiration and enjoyment that museums can provide. We are working on ways in which you can continue to enjoy our collections and their many stories online until we can welcome you back to the Museum.

Thank you for your support in these unsettling times and we look forward to welcoming you back when our Museum reopens.

   Xa Sturgis
   Director, Ashmolean Museum
 

* If your Membership expiry date was/is later than 19 March 2020, we have automatically extended your membership by an initial three months.

How you can help the Museum

During our closure we have been amazed by your messages of support. Many have already got in touch to forgo their membership extensions or donated to us, and we have been asked how else you can help. Your support as Members is critical in such challenging times. If you are able to stay as Members with us whilst we weather the changes ahead, that already will be immensely valuable to us.

If you are in a position to help us further, you can do so in a number of ways.

1. Waive the extension on your Membership

We understand that without physical access to the Museum, for the time being, you are unable to make the most of your Membership at the moment.

To ensure you don’t miss out on your Membership, and as a thank you for your continued support, we automatically extended your membership for an initial three months (from 19 March), and a further extension is currently being reviewed.

However, if you are able and happy to forgo this extension, it will equate to a vital contribution to the Ashmolean’s financial health.

We are very grateful to those who have already done this, and anyone who might consider it.

We are still ironing out the technical details on how to do this, but if you get in touch with the Membership Team via membership@ashmus.ox.ac.uk we will make sure this is actioned for you.

2. Purchase a Gift Membership

Gifting a Membership is a great way to share the experience of exploring the Ashmolean and all its treasures within, and something amazing to look forward to when we are able to reopen our doors.

Gift Memberships can be redeemed within 12 months from purchase, giving the recipients full flexibility as to when their year of exploration starts.
 

Gift membership

 

Please note we will be able to dispatch physical gift membership packs once we have access to the Museum. In the meantime, we can issue an e-certificate for you to pass on to the recipient.

3. Make a donation

Any donation you are able to give contributes towards the Ashmolean’s financial health, especially at a time when we are not able to welcome visitors and generate enough income to sustain our vast programme of activities and exhibitions. Thank you for your generosity.
 

Make a donation

 

Membership FAQ during the Museum closure

 

We have extended all Memberships with an existing expiry date of 19 March 2020 or later for an extra three months.

You can continue to enjoy other Membership benefits such as your Members’ mailing whilst our doors are closed to the public. If your Membership is up for renewal in the coming months, we will contact you separately with more information.

We have extended all Memberships with an existing expiry date of 19 March 2020 or later for an initial extra three months.

We had hoped that we would be able to re-open in June, which we now know is not possible. We would love to be able to continue to extend all memberships until we reopen, but to do so will cost the Ashmolean c.£30,000 each month at a time when other vital sources of visitor income are unavailable.

We do however understand that with our Museum closed, or perhaps due to worry about your finances, you may wish to request a further membership extension. If this is the case, we can offer the option of a further extension to cover the period between now and when we re-open. To opt in for this further extension, which is a limited offer, please let us know by filling in the form at this link before Tuesday 30 June 2020, and we will take care of the rest.

 

 

If you purchase a Membership during the closure, your membership will start from the date the Ashmolean reopens so you will receive your full year of membership benefits.

 

 

Yes we will.

If you have recently changed your email address please notify the Membership Office by emailing us at membership@ashmus.ox.ac.uk and we will update our records.

 

 

Without physical access to the Museum, we have suspended all postal reminders of upcoming Membership renewals.

If we have your email address on record, we will send you an email reminder in place of a letter.

 

 

We have taken the step to cancel all existing direct debit instructions to the Ashmolean, with view to reinstate them in the month of your new expiry date. We will always notify you in writing with any changes to your direct debit instruction or when we collect payment. You are always protected by the Direct Debit Guarantee.

 

 

In line with Public Health England, and in order to safeguard the safety of our Members, staff and volunteers, we have made the decision to cancel the Spring/Summer 2020 programme of Members’ events.

We are looking to reschedule as many of these events as possible in 2021, and if you are a ticket holder to any of these events, you will be given first priority to re-book on these events if you wish. In the coming weeks we will be contacting you separately to refund your ticket(s) over the phone.

 

 

Our ever-growing Online Collections Website can be accessed wherever you are, and you can also discover fascinating stories from our collections on our website. You can also follow the Museum on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube at @AshmoleanMuseum for the latest news and updates.

 

Stay Connected

If you have an email address that we do not know of, but which you would like us to use to contact you, please email the Membership Team at membership@ashmus.ox.ac.uk so that we can make sure you are the first to know about our plans for reopening and future events.

You can contact the Membership Office by emailing us. Please note with the closure of the Museum there may be a small delay in responding to your query.