|
|
|
Museum and Heritage Centre Appeal
The Society has been searching for 30 years for a place of its own to house its collections of tools, costumes, fossils, household pieces, pictures, photos, maps and books, and to tell the story of Blockley and its neighbouring civil parishes of Paxford, Northwick Park, Draycott and Aston Magna over the past 1,200 years.
Having at last found a suitable site, in October 2006 we launched an appeal for the funds to enable us to realise this project, for the benefit of our schoolchildren, local residents, visitors, and anyone who wants to find out more about our villages.
Where?
The proposed site is on Trust land off Park Road, donated by Captain Edward Spencer-Churchill in 1943 for just such a purpose, adjacent to St George's Hall (Blockley's main village hall) and Blockley Primary School, by kind permission of the St George's Hall Trustees.
What?
The proposed building is intended to house a museum, library, archive for papers, photos and documents about Blockley and its neighbour villages. Displays will cover local geology, agriculture, building in stone and brick, watermills, the silk trade, Victorian inventions, pubs, shops and schools, the two World Wars, and perhaps a gallery of heroes and villains.
What will it look like?
The purpose-built building has been designed to replicate an 18th century Cotswold barn. We could not have got planning permission, nor agreement from the various Trustees' committees, if we had planned a modern building. Nor could we have raised the money to buy existing premises in Blockley: the proposed building will cost about £152,000 and somewhere of similar size in the village would cost over £500,000. But we like the idea of showing our collections in a suitable historical context, and of making the building an exhibit in itself.
What is our need?
At current estimates, we are looking to cover building costs of £152,000, plus £50,000 for contents/displays, and £20,000 to establish a trust fund to meet the cost of upkeep, etc. - a total of £222,000. There is also a generous allowance for contingency and inflation. To achieve this target, we are appealing to national charities, local residents, and any other organisations or individuals who would like to support what we believe to be an enormously worthwhile project.
Appeal progress
In September 2007 we submitted the final version of our Heritage Lottery Fund bid with a request for £270,000. Our own assets from subscriptions, donations, gift aid, grants and pledges are now £52,000. Our voluntary work contribution calculated on the Lottery Fund rate is £32,000. We still await donations from other charities who will be funding the museum and library once the building is in place. Anyone who is thinking of making a donation and has not yet done so is urged to do so as soon as possible. Major bids for grant-aid are now in the pipeline, and we need to show as much local support as possible..
Donations
If you feel able to do so, please print off and complete the donation form below, and send it with your donation to:
President
Blockley Antiquarian Society
Malvern Mill
High Street
Blockley
Gloucestershire
GL56 9HA
Donation form
Any help you can give will be greatly appreciated.
|
