THE Staffordshire Hoard has been saved for the nation – and a further £1.7m appeal has been launched to pay for its conservation, study and display.
The news came early last week after the National Heritage Memorial Fund (NHMF), the government’s fund of last resort for heritage items at risk, pledged £1,285,000 – bringing the campaign to the £3.3m target, just over three weeks ahead of schedule.
ATG understands that the 1500-piece hoard of gold will be jointly held by the Birmingham Museums & Art Gallery and the Potteries Museum & Art Gallery, Stoke-on-Trent, although details of how this will be managed are not yet clear.
The Art Fund has also proved a major benefactor, launching a fund-raising campaign in mid January by committing £300,000 of its own to add to the £100,000 pledges from Birmingham and Stoke City Councils.
Birmingham City Councillor Martin Mullaney highlighted just how much the campaign had caught the public’s attention, pointing out that £900,000 of the £3.3m raised had come from personal donations.
Visit www.artfund.org/hoard for details of ongoing donations.
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