Save Wedgwood Appeal: Total tops £2m after flood of donations
THE Art Fund’s appeal to save the Wedgwood Collection has raised an incredible £2m in just three weeks, after a flood of donations from the public and major donors.
The Art Fund launched the £2.74m appeal on September 1 with the aim of raising the final portion of £15.75m needed to save the collection; £13m had already been secured from the Heritage Lottery Fund, the Art Fund and private trusts.
Just 22 days into the appeal, an exceptional wave of donations and pledges has brought the total amount raised to £2m – less than a week after it was announced that public donations had raised £700,000.
The appeal now has until November 30 to raise the final £750,000 to save the Wedgwood Collection, a unique and irreplaceable collection including more than 80,000 historical pieces, works of art, photographs and archival material covering the 250-year history of one of Britain’s greatest manufacturers.
Stephen Deuchar, director of the Art Fund, said: “This is truly extraordinary in our fundraising history. Exceptional public support has triggered a tide of pledges of another £1m from major donors, trusts and foundations – bringing the total raised as of today to £2m. With just under £750,000 to go, we continue to talk to several further potential funders.
“The remarkable affection and concern for the Wedgwood Collection has never been so profoundly visible as through the convergence of so many individuals, trusts and foundations. Every single donor in the community of givers should be immensely proud of the scale of what has been achieved to date.”
The museum in Barlaston, near Stoke-on-Trent, went into administration in 2010 after the firm collapsed and its £134m pension debts were transferred to the museum trust.
This is in turn placed the future of the collection in doubt.
The Save Wedgwood Appeal is being backed by TheBusinessDesk.com.
Donations to the appeal can be made here.
