THE recently announced redundancies at Beamish Museum (Echo, Sept 22) are a tragedy for the North-East.

As the living museum, they actively collect the testimonies of all members of society about the past, preserving and promoting a veritable treasure trove of collective history, memory, and identity. They safeguard the heart and soul of what it means to be from the region.

The museum also does amazing work in the community that many do not know about. Staff bring historical objects out to different community groups, provoking the young to recognise their heritage and the experiences of their elders, and allowing the elderly to reconnect with the past and contribute to our understanding of it.

In the case of working with groups supporting those with dementia, this work is invaluable. They travel the North-East bringing history to the people. They help the isolated, the disillusioned and forgotten feel part of something bigger.

It is time for the government to step in to ensure arts, heritage and culture are not irrevocably damaged by the pandemic. We have already lost so much to coronavirus; we cannot afford to lose our identity and history too.

Dr Liam Temple, Darlington.