A £2.5m new museum in Brent, London, has proved popular with local people – attracting more visitors in its first month of operation than the museum it replaced welcomed in the entire previous year.

Brent Museum, based within Willesden Green Library Centre, was created to provide a new home for the local history artefacts previously housed at the Grange Museum of Community History.

Since it opened on May 25, the new museum has welcomed 6,569 people – one more than The Grange managed in its last full year of operation, March 2003 to April 2004.

Alex Sydney, head of heritage services at Brent Council, said: “Residents from all of Brent’s communities have been actively involved with the museum’s development and we have tried to reflect the area’s unique identity as accurately as possible.

“We must have got something right because the museum is clearly evoking a sense of pride in the area among visitors.”

The council received a £1.276m grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund to help finance the museum. Details: www.brent.gov.uk