Sir Joseph Banks Society

Name

Sir Joseph Banks Society

Legal name

Sir Joseph Banks Society

Website

https://joseph-banks.org.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2007

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Natural History Museum and Heritage Education Services

NAICS

Museums (712110), Museums, Historical Sites, and Similar Institutions (7121), Museums, Historical Sites, and Similar Institutions (712), Museums (71211), Nature Parks and Other Similar Institutions (712190)

akta.pro primary industry

Natural History Museums (THAJADAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Museums & Heritage Sites (History, Science, Specialty) (BPAGAHAA), Wildlife Interpretation & Education Centers (Visitor Centers, Museums) (THAAAFAG), Libraries, Archives & Special Collections (BPAGAHAF)

Keywords

• Natural science museum
• Heritage collections
• Educational programmes
• Charitable membership society
• Scientific research library

Headquarters

HQ city

Horncastle

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Membership Subscriptions: Annual membership fees providing access to collections, magazines, lectures and events. Tiers include Individual (£25), Joint (£40), Student (£10), Institutional (£40), and Life (£200).
2. Donations and Fundraising: Financial donations from members and supporters; also accepts book donations suitable for archive. Gift Aid scheme enables charity to reclaim tax on qualifying donations.
3. National Lottery Heritage Fund Grants: Received funding via UK Shared Prosperity Fund and East Lindsey Investment Fund (£147,500 donated) for Joseph Banks Centre purchase, with cumulative £1.5M awarded to Horncastle projects.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The Sir Joseph Banks Society operates a natural science museum and education centre (the Joseph Banks Centre) in Horncastle, Lincolnshire, preserving historical natural science collections covering botany, entomology, taxidermy, geology, and palaeontology. It provides public access to curated specimens and archives (including the George Edward Lodge Collection, Whatmough spider collection, butterfly, bat, and Lincolnshire herbarium records), delivers structured educational programmes and research access, and supports a membership society under the patronage of Sir David Attenborough.

Product overview

The Sir Joseph Banks Society operates as a natural science museum and education centre in Horncastle, Lincolnshire, transitioning from its original history society format to focus on natural science collections reflecting Sir Joseph Banks' life and work. The organization maintains an extensive portfolio of natural science specimens including botanical collections (LoveLincsPlants database, Lincolnshire Herbarium), entomology collections (spider collections, butterfly collections), zoological records (bat records), and historical archives. Physical offerings include the Joseph Banks Centre museum, reference library, and conservation facilities. Educational services engage learners from primary school to university level. The Society also offers membership programs providing access to collections, publications, and events.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Joseph Banks Centre Museum Natural science museum in Horncastle, Lincolnshire, offering free public access to historical botany, entomology, taxidermy, and geological collections. Aimed at members, families, schools, and the general public.
• Society Membership Tiered annual and life membership subscription for individuals, joint applicants, students, and institutions, providing structured engagement and funding for the society's charitable mission.
• Educational Visits and Workshops Structured educational sessions and workshops for primary schools, secondary schools, and university learners, delivered at the Joseph Banks Centre alongside the Living Machine and taxidermy displays.
• Reference Library and Archive Access Physical and online access to a reference library and archival records supporting natural science research, scholarly consultation, and academic study.
• LoveLincsPlants Botanical Database Online digital database of Lincolnshire botanical records, accessible to researchers, students, and the public to support natural science study.
• George Edward Lodge Collection Display Curated collection of historical artworks and natural history specimens by George Edward Lodge, accessible through the museum for members, visitors, and researchers.
• Whatmough Spider Collection Curated specialist spider (arachnid) collection accessible for specialist researchers, naturalists, and educational engagement.
• Lincolnshire Herbarium and Records Collections Specialist biological records collections covering Lincolnshire herbarium specimens, butterfly records, and bat records, used to support biodiversity research and academic study.
• New Fossil Exhibition Upgraded dedicated fossil exhibition scheduled for 2026 at the Joseph Banks Centre, showcasing key fossils including those related to the 2008 discovery and enhancing the museum's geological offering.

Quantifiable outcome

• 650+ plant specimens digitized and accessible online
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Lincolnshire Wildlife TrustcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2018National Lottery Heritage Fund partner in #LoveLincsPlants project (2018-2022) to inspire new generation of botanists. Training volunteers in plant identification, specimen mounting, archiving, and scanning. Legacy phase continues 2022-2026.
• Natural History Museum, LondoncoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2018National Lottery Heritage Fund partner in #LoveLincsPlants project. Provides professional expertise and support. Involved in specimen identification and taxonomic verification (e.g., F. Rumsey from NHM for hawkweed determinations).
• Lincolnshire Naturalists' UnioncoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2018National Lottery Heritage Fund partner in #LoveLincsPlants project. Contributors of insect collections to the society. Recorders and volunteers from the Union contribute to specimen collection and cataloguing.
• University of LincolncoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2018National Lottery Heritage Fund partner in #LoveLincsPlants project. Lincoln Conservation (part of University of Lincoln) provides advice and support for collections care. Also supports education programs and fossil exhibition.
• Natural History MuseumminorOthersExternal professional staff provide advice and support for collections management and conservation.
• Lincoln ConservationminorOthersPart of University of Lincoln, provides professional conservation advice and support for the society's collections.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Regional players

• Leicester Museum & Art Gallery: A regional East Midlands museum service with natural history collections and education programming. Comparable as a peer regional museum serving nearby counties with mixed natural history and broader cultural collections.

Direct peers

• Yorkshire Museum (York Museums Trust): Regional UK natural history and archaeology museum with similar community engagement, school programming, and volunteer-driven collection work. Directly comparable as a regional natural history and education institution outside London.
• Chelsea Physic Garden: A small specialist botanical garden and heritage site with a strong educational programme and membership model. Comparable to the Joseph Banks Society in operating a botanical/herbarium-led visitor site with a paying-membership base and heritage positioning.
• Lincolnshire Wildlife Trust: Core partner of the Sir Joseph Banks Society on the #LoveLincsPlants project. Directly comparable as a Lincolnshire-focused conservation, education, and citizen-science organisation engaging the same volunteer base and county geography.
• Grant Museum of Zoology (UCL): A small specialist zoological museum and university teaching collection. Comparable in operating model (small specialist collections, university-adjacent, education-led) and in offering public access to preserved natural history specimens with research access programmes.
• Museum of English Rural Life (MERL): University-affiliated museum using collections and digital engagement to drive community reach. Comparable as a small, collections-led, education-focused museum with a strong online and volunteer identity, similar in operating posture to the Joseph Banks Society.
• Booth Museum of Natural History (Brighton): A small UK municipal natural history museum specialising in entomology, ornithology, and taxidermy. Closely comparable in scale, volunteer model, and collection focus to the Joseph Banks Society, particularly its butterfly and spider collections.

Broad incumbents

• Natural History Museum, London: The UK's flagship natural history museum, a strategic partner of the Sir Joseph Banks Society. Comparable as a natural history collection, research, and education institution, though operating at vastly greater national scale and offering overlapping taxonomic and digitization infrastructure.
• Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew: World-leading botanical institution founded with direct historical links to Sir Joseph Banks. Comparable as a herbarium, botanical research, and education centre, but operates globally with substantially larger collections and resources.
• Oxford University Museum of Natural History: A larger university natural history museum with comparable taxonomic, herbarium, and educational functions. Operates at a greater research and visitor scale but mirrors the Joseph Banks Society's blend of natural science collection, university partnership, and public education.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCmJ3eKo0ZnBJtQvLuBq8lOw
• Facebookfacebook.com/JosephBanksSociety
• Xx.com/sirjosephbanks
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/joseph-banks-limited

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Sir Joseph Banks Society