Thousands of pounds pledged to support proposed Redditch museum

Trustees of the Redditch Local History Museum group are now closer to achieving their goal of preserving the town's heritage.

They hope to open a heritage museum in the historic town centre to store a treasure trove of artifacts that are in danger of disappearing.

The group set up a fundraiser for the project, with a target of £15,000 to kickstart the museum for an initial year. They are now halfway to reaching their target after receiving pledges of £7,000.

As well as donations and sponsorships, the group is also looking for volunteers to help promote, design and operate the proposed museum.

One of the group's plans is to hold an exhibition that will showcase ideas for the museum and how artefacts could be presented to the public.

They then intend to set up an interim museum site to be operational for two to three years until a permanent site is established.

A Redditch Local History Museum Facebook page, which was set up to generate public support, now has well over a thousand members.

Residents are being asked to follow the Facebook group to show their support for the plans, or visit their website at www.rlhm.uk for further information.

Those who would like to donate to the campaign can do so via www.justgiving.com.

Since its formation in 2009, the Redditch Local History Society has been collecting artefacts and memorabilia reflecting the town's history.

Over this time, several collections from local historians have been lost. The society says their archives are currently stored in less than ideal conditions and they urgently need secure storage.

The group says a museum would enable the donation of more artefacts and their safe storage for future generations to enjoy.

Trustee Derek Coombes said: "Our main drive is getting somewhere for the artefacts we have. What we'd really like to do is to get more business sponsors.

"We are being very well supported. We are hoping that Redditch Borough Council will get on board."