People's History Museum

What People's History Museum does

People's History Museum (PHM), legally registered as the National Museum of Labour History, is an independent charity and company limited by guarantee operating the UK's only national museum entirely dedicated to the story of democratic development in Britain. Founded in 1975 and relocated to Manchester in 1990, PHM occupies a purpose-built 2010 facility on Left Bank, Spinningfields, and houses Designated collections of national importance — including the world's largest collection of political and trade union banners (over 450 items, with the world's oldest trade union banner from 1821), the Labour History Archive (complete Labour Party and Communist Party of Great Britain holdings and 95,000+ photographs), 4,000+ political posters, and 7,000+ badges. The museum serves general visitors (85,000+ annually), school and university groups, researchers, event-hire clients, trade unions, and community partners through two permanent galleries, rotating exhibitions, the Labour History Archive & Study Centre, an Icon-accredited Conservation Studio, a learning programme, a venue hire business, a retail shop, and an on-site café. The operating model combines free admission with suggested voluntary donations of £10, recurring donor programmes (Radical Friends at £3/month, Radical Circle at £1,000+/year), venue hire revenue, retail and café income, and grant funding from Arts Council England, National Lottery Heritage Fund, DCMS, and Greater Manchester partners — making it structurally a donation-and-grant-led cultural institution rather than a commercial enterprise.

Name

People's History Museum

Legal name

National Museum of Labour History (charity number 295260)

Website

https://phm.org.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1975

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

People's History Museum (PHM) is an independent charity operating the UK's only national museum of democracy in Manchester, housing Designated collections of banners, archives, and political artefacts, and serving 85,000+ visitors annually through free exhibitions, learning programmes, and venue hire.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Museum and Cultural Heritage Services

NAICS

Museums, Historical Sites, and Similar Institutions (7121), Museums, Historical Sites, and Similar Institutions (712)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

History Museums (THAJADAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Cultural Heritage Institutions (Archives, Historic Houses, Monuments Foundations) (THAJADAI), Museums & Heritage Sites (History, Science, Specialty) (BPAGAHAA), Museum, Zoo & Attraction Gift Shops (CRALAJAG)

Keywords

• Museum exhibitions
• Cultural heritage services
• Historical archive research
• Educational learning programs
• Community engagement events

Headquarters

HQ city

Manchester

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Membership: PHM is an independent charity relying on donations as a vital source of income. Donations enable delivery of free exhibitions, youth and learning programmes, and community events reaching over 85,000 people each year. The Radical Friends monthly giving program at £3/month and Radical Circle annual donors (£1,000+) provide recurring support.
2. Venue Hire: The museum offers venue hire for corporate events, weddings, filming & photography, and social occasions. Spaces include Engine Hall (up to 200 standing), Coal Store (36-50 people), and Riverside Room (65 standing). Catering is exclusively provided by Vanilla in Allseasons.
3. Retail Shop: PHM operates a museum shop selling books, cards, homeware, souvenirs, and gifts inspired by the museum's collection. The shop is accessible both on-site and online at shop.phm.org.uk.
4. Café Operations: Gather café operates on-site providing food and beverage service to museum visitors. Previously operated in partnership with Open Kitchen.
5. Learning Programs and Workshops: The museum offers chargeable workshops including banner making and oracy & confidence building for school groups. Archive study days and guided tours are also available for booking.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

People's History Museum operates as the UK's national museum of democracy, providing free permanent and changing exhibitions that chronicle British political and social history from the Peterloo Massacre of 1819 to present day. Core offerings include the Gallery One & Gallery Two permanent displays, a programme of temporary exhibitions, the Labour History Archive & Study Centre for researchers, a Conservation Studio offering professional textile conservation services, venue hire for corporate and private events, educational workshops and guided tours, a museum shop, and an on-site café. The museum also runs community engagement programmes, a research blog, and an e-newsletter, reaching over 85,000 people annually.

Product overview

People's History Museum (PHM) is the UK's national museum of democracy, operating as a single unified museum with multiple interconnected services rather than a platform-plus-modules architecture. The core offering consists of two permanent galleries (Gallery One & Gallery Two) displaying the story of British democracy from 1819 to present, supplemented by annually changing banner exhibitions and rotating headline exhibitions such as Re/Assemble and On The Line. Supporting services include the Labour History Archive & Study Centre (research), Conservation Studio (conservation services), Venue Hire (event spaces), Gather Café (hospitality), PHM Shop (retail), and Learning Programme (educational workshops). The museum also provides digital access through online collection search, blog content, and e-newsletter communications. PHM reaches over 85,000 people annually through exhibitions, youth and learning programmes, and community events, operating as a free-entry museum reliant on donations and charitable support.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Labour History Archive & Study Centre: Internationally significant collection of political archive material including Labour Party and Communist Party of Great Britain archives, archives of working class organisations, personal papers of radical politicians, writers and activists, and over 95,000 photographs.
• The Conservation Studio
• Gather cafe

Quantifiable outcome

• Reaches over 85,000 people annually through free exhibitions, youth and learning programmes, and community events

Named customers2 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Royal Holloway, University of LondonminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 September 2024PHM is a partner organisation in Inclusive Histories project led by Royal Holloway, supported by Arts and Humanities Research Council, aiming to encourage more inclusive teaching of UK political history for KS4 students.
• General Federation of Trade Unions (GFTU)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 16 January 2022PHM is a partner organization of the General Strike 100 anniversary national partnership with GFTU and group of museums, libraries and archives coordinating centenary celebrations.
• Vanilla in AllseasonscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerExclusive catering partner for venue hire events. One of Cheshire's leading event caterers providing fresh, seasonal food and professional service for corporate receptions, awards dinners, conferences, and private celebrations.
• Open KitchencoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Manchester's leading conscious food company for café operations. Won Green Award from Cultural Enterprises Awards in 2021 for Open Kitchen Cafe & Bar partnership.
• IAP:MCRcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerManchester based arts organisation that curated Re/Assemble exhibition exploring 1988 Section 28 protest. Creates and presents work across visual and performing arts by artists who identify as queer. Part of PROTEST! Documenting Dissent project supported by The National Lottery Heritage Fund.
• Trades Union Congress (TUC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHelped rescue the museum from closure in 1988 alongside Manchester City Council and Greater Manchester authorities. Historical connection to TUC as the building where first TUC meeting took place.
• BBCcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerPHM collaborated with historian and broadcaster Lucy Worsley for 2026 BBC series 'Lucy Worsley Investigates the American Revolution'. PHM welcomed Lucy Worsley in summer 2025 to explore the museum as part of research.
• BBCcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerMedia coverage and documentary partnerships helping increase access to the museum's collections and stories.
• AccessAbleminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for detailed accessibility information guide for visitors with disabilities.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves14 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Science and Industry Museum (Manchester): Adjacent Manchester cultural attraction offering free admission, school programs, and conservation services with overlapping family and education audiences in the same geography.
• Foundling Museum: Independently operated UK museum focused on social history with comparable scale, education programming, free entry, and venue hire; Clare Barlow previously held a role there.
• Manchester Museum: Manchester-based museum operated by the University of Manchester with comparable civic/education focus, free admission, and overlapping visitor demographics in the same city market.
• Imperial War Museum North: Manchester-located museum addressing conflict and social history with similar free-entry model, learning programmes, and nationally designated collection status.
• The Whitworth (Manchester): University of Manchester art gallery with free admission, learning workshops, and venue hire, competing directly with PHM for Manchester's family and education audiences.

Regional players

• Tyne & Wear Archives & Museums: UK regional museum service operating multiple sites with comparable free-entry model, education programming, and Designated collections, but geographically concentrated in the North East.

Broad incumbents

• London Museum (formerly Museum of London): National social-history museum with overlapping civic narrative, free entry model, education programmes, and comparable Designated collection status.
• Tate Liverpool: Major UK national museum offering free entry, education programming, and venue hire with overlapping civic-history programming ambitions and a regional UK footprint.
• National Portrait Gallery: Larger London-based national museum with comparable curatorial ambitions, learning programmes, and conservation services; Clare Barlow previously held a senior role there.

Others

• Historic England Archive: National heritage body that recognises Designated collections and is a repeat award partner (Angel Awards), sharing a UK heritage-sector ecosystem with PHM and providing adjacent research and curatorial context.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/PeoplesHistoryMuseum
• Facebooken-gb.facebook.com/PHMMcr
• Instagraminstagram.com/phmmcr
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/peopleshistorymuseum

Compliance5 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

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 People's History Museum