Just a few months ago, I talked about my strong belief in Swindon.

Of course, no-one will be surprised to hear that it’s been a tough couple of weeks for us up at the museum, hearing the news that the Heritage Lottery Fund was unable to support Swindon’s bid in the latest major batch of awards.

And the feedback we had during the HLF assessment phase was incredibly positive; they recognised the quality of Swindon’s heritage and our plans, and would have loved to support us, had they had more funding available.

But it was not to be, and I’ll admit to being absolutely gutted.

I’m gutted for the museum team, who put their heart and soul into the place and the bid; I’m gutted for dozens of volunteers and members of the Friends of the Museum & Art Gallery, you gave up huge amounts of time and energy to support us; and I’m gutted for the thousands of supporters who care passionately about Swindon’s heritage and desperately wanted to see the project happen.

But mostly, I felt gutted for the people of Swindon, and for the next generation of Swindonians, who are the people who would have benefitted the most from the project, and who stand to lose the most if we don’t find a solution.

But that is where Swindon comes in. Swindon is a place of determined, passionate and innovative people. Swindon keeps going, Swindon defies expectation, and Swindon succeeds.

I’ve lost track, over recent months, of the number of studies which seem to consistently place Swindon as one of the best places in the country to live and work. And that is down to its people.

We always knew that the competition would be fierce, but we also knew that we had a great chance. Everything that went into the bid has also supported the development of the current museum and art gallery – and our visitor figures have increased over 50 per cent in the last couple of years as a consequence.

Swindon Borough Council, including the councillors of every party, continue to be committed to dealing with the current museum, which is simply not fit for purpose, and finding a solution befitting Swindon’s heritage, its art, and its ambitions for the future. And despite the recent news, HLF and the Arts Council are keen to support us and have asked to meet with us very soon to work out how we move forward.

The progress we’ve made, and the support that has built up, both locally and nationally, put us in a great position to deliver for Swindon’s heritage.

We may have to think creatively about how we do it, and I’ve already started collecting people’s ideas, but creativity and innovation are what Swindon does best.

So my belief in Swindon has only been increased by my experiences this year. Swindon must deliver for its heritage, its art and its people. And Swindon will.