Success at the Hatton Gallery The Friends of the Hatton Gallery, Newcastle, hosted the North East regional meeting of the British Association of Friends of Museums (BAFM). The day started with an update from Friends groups across the region, sharing their recent successes and apprising us of developments at their institutions. Overall, 9 Friends’ groups were represented from groups as diverse as the British Balloon Museum and Library to the Doxford Engine Friends’ Association. Next, there were two ‘how to’ presentations on the topic of fundraising. Pat Devenport (Chair of the Friends of the Laing Art Gallery) gave an interesting presentation of fundraising through events, something that the Friends of the Laing Art Gallery are expert at. BAFM NE Regional Representative gave a presentation on fundraising through grant applications in which she highlighted the importance of the ‘5 Ms’: clearly outlining the Mechanics of your project, understanding your Market, strong project Management, using Money effectively, and delivering successful Monitoring of your project. After an open forum discussion on topics including the new General Data Protection Regulations that come into force in May 2018 and the most recent findings of the BAFM Youth Engagement report, the delegation went on a guided tour of the Hatton’s current temporary exhibitions: Sean Scully 1970 and Kate Liston’s wonderful installation inspired by the newly refurbished galleries. BAFM North-east Regional Coordinator said “The regional meeting has been really helpful in bringing everyone together to share information and help us look to the future. Thank you to all those who attended, especially to the Friends of the Hatton for hosting us in such an inspiring space. I hope to see everyone at the National Conference at the Laing Art Gallery in October.”