Hoard Appeal Launch

A fundraising appeal has been launched today Monday 5 October to keep the Staffordshire Hoard in the Midlands Region.

Around 36,500 people have visited Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery, since the hoard went on display on 25 September, and the museum has extended opening hours to accommodate the numbers.

Cllr Martin Mullaney, Cabinet Member for Leisure Sport and Culture who launched the appeal today said:

Working together with our partners, The Potteries Museum and Art Gallery, Stoke on Trent, as well as other partner museums in Staffordshire, I know we can return the Hoard to its rightful home in the region formerly known as Mercia.

We are therefore, launching an appeal and asking for help from the public - who have already been extremely generous. Public donations help us to show national grant-giving and other funding bodies that there is strong local support for the acquisition. This often helps us to leverage far greater funds than would otherwise be possible from funding bodies. So even the smallest donation can help to make a big difference!

Birmingham City Council and Stoke on Trent City Council are working jointly to acquire the Staffordshire Hoard. Visitors to Birmingham Museums and Art Gallery and The Potteries Museum and Art Gallery can contribute by putting money in designated Hoard collection boxes. Donations can also be made by cheque or on line which allows for the re-claim of Gift Aid (which adds up to an extra 28p for every pound donated, at no extra cost to the donor) www.bmag.org.uk/support-us, alternatively post cheques payable to City of Birmingham Museums & Art Gallery Development Trust send to Hoard Appeal, c/o Kate Lawton, BMAG, Chamberlain Square, Birmingham B3 3DH

Mike Whitby, Leader of Birmingham City Council said:

This unique treasure has already excited audiences from across the world, and has shone a spotlight on the Midlands - providing an exciting link to an often overlooked past.

The Hoard is a truly regional treasure, that has global significance, and there is clearly a strong feeling that it should remain here in the Midlands. I hope everyone will get behind this appeal, and help us to work with our partners to provide the Hoard with a fitting home in the future.

Rita McLean, Head of Birmingham Museums and Heritage said:

This remarkable treasure was buried in the historic kingdom of Mercia, which covered a vast part of central England. It will greatly enhance our knowledge of the history of this region in the Anglo-Saxon period. We must make sure it is accessible to the public and academic communities alike. There are many stakeholders and partners right across the region that have an interest in this extraordinary discovery of Anglo-Saxon treasure, we will be working collaboratively with Staffordshire County Council, Lichfield District Council and the other key institutions who have also expressed a desire to be partners. I am also delighted that the British Museum and Portable Antiquities Scheme will continue to work with us on this major project.

City of Birmingham Museums & Art Gallery Development Trust - registered charity no. 701785

Media Contacts: Carmel Girling ~ T: 0121 303 4266, 07766 923352 E: carmel_girling@birmingham.gov.uk
Jason Lewis ~ T: 0121 303 4266, 07980 270540 (Monday only), E: jason_lewis@birmingham.gov.uk

Please note: If acquisition of the Staffordshire Hoard for the Midlands is unsuccessful, all donations will go directly towards research, education, and interpretation programmes related to the Hoard for the benefit of the public.