THE new manager of Renfrewshire's museums has told of how he is looking forward to telling the story of his home region's proud past while helping shape a vibrant future.

Neil Ballantyne is now the museums and collections manager at Renfrewshire Museums Service, which is part of Renfrewshire Leisure.

The 56-year-old joins at a time of unprecedented investment, with work including the £42m transformation of Paisley Museum - and just weeks after he played a role in helping host world leaders and royalty as part of COP26 in Glasgow.

Dr Ballantyne, who grew up in Houston, told The Gazette: "It’s exciting. The ambition and vision of Renfrewshire Leisure and Renfrewshire Council really should be commended. I hope to help make it a success."

He has made the move to Renfrewshire Leisure after 13 years with Glasgow Life as manager of Kelvingrove Museum - a role which saw him being part of a team which welcomed more than one million visitors a year while overseeing a vast range of high-profile, successful exhibitions and events, which latterly also covered the People’s Palace and St Mungo’s Museum.

Dr Ballantyne believes it was the chance to use his experience to be part of significant events in Renfrewshire which attracted him to his new job.

He said: "Working in Glasgow, I heard and saw how the city had regenerated itself through culture. I started to hear people talk about the vision for Paisley in the same way. 

"I was obviously aware of Paisley's City of Culture bid and then heard about the plans for the museum. Colleagues were talking about how Paisley was building its vision by working with the community. That really made me take notice.

"The fact that it’s Paisley was a factor too. I’ve a history with the place. The first toy shop I remember going to was under the railway bridge at Gilmour Street. When I started buying records it was from Stereo One on Moss Street.

"Culture will play a major part in the regeneration of Paisley. It is going to be really interesting to be part of that."

Dr Ballantyne's mum Maisie is well-known as the former school secretary at Houston Primary for 32 years and her son hopes to use his personal experiences to help further the reach of his home region’s story.

As well as showcasing art, science and natural history collections, the transformed museum will tell the story of Paisley’s pattern, the town’s famous weavers and being at the centre of the global thread-making industry.

Dr Ballantyne added: "I am really looking forward to having the chance to help Paisley Museum develop and become a place where the people of Renfrewshire feel welcome - and proud. I hope it will not just be a place which tells the fascinating story of our past, but be a major part of our present too,” he added.

"We have internationally-important collections and there are a lot of stories still to be told. I’m learning things all of the time.

"One of the things I hope to do is help to get people from outside Paisley into Paisley. When I was at school in Houston, I don’t remember any trips into Paisley. I would like to see schools coming into the museum as a matter of course."

Managers at Renfrewshire Leisure have welcomed Dr Ballantyne to his post.

Kirsty Devine, project director of Paisley Museum Reimagined, said: "We are delighted to have Neil join the team. He brings the perfect combination of extensive museum sector experience as well as great local knowledge. This undoubtedly will prove invaluable as we develop both a world-class museum and a community resource at the heart of the town’s regeneration."