National Museums Scotland has received a £1 million grant from The Moffat Charitable Trust - a significant contribution to the £46.4 million redevelopment of the Royal Museum building. This major grant brings the total raised to date to over £41 million.
Dr Gordon Rintoul, Director of National Museums Scotland, said:
“We’re delighted that The Royal Museum Project is receiving such enthusiastic and widespread support, and particularly that The Moffat Trust has decided to make such a generous donation. It is only with the help of partners like these that we can deliver this transformational project, for the benefit of the people of Scotland and beyond.”
The Royal Museum building is part of the National Museum of Scotland on Chambers Street in Edinburgh, which partially closed in April for three years of restoration and redevelopment. More than half of the Museum remains open – including the new gallery that opened in July, Scotland: A Changing Nation - so that visitors can discover the collections, enjoy events and see special exhibitions throughout the work.
Jamie Moffat, Chair of The Moffat Charitable Trust said:
“The Moffat Charitable Trust is thrilled to offer our support to National Museums Scotland. In line with our values, The Royal Museum Project will create an environment dedicated to children, community, education and art, and as such, we are willing to throw our full support behind this ambitious redevelopment. With a new Ayrshire Outreach Project, the National Collections will be much more accessible to the people of Ayrshire, and we are pleased that we can help to extend the benefits the new museum will bring to a wider community.”
The dedicated outreach programme for Ayrshire enhances the Trust’s generous support of the Project, and will focus on strengthening partnerships and making the national collections more accessible to local people.
The grant comes as the main phase of building work begins on The Royal Museum Project, which will transform this iconic Victorian landmark into a world-class visitor experience. The Project will put more objects on display, in 14 new galleries and exhibitions, increase learning facilities and improve access. The project is jointly funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund (£17.8 million) and the Scottish Government (£16 million), with a target of £12.6 million from private sources to be raised for the re-opening in 2011. The Moffat Charitable Trust’s substantial support means that £7.7 million of this sum has already been raised.
ends
Notes to the Editor:
• The Moffat Charitable Trust was established in 1999 by
Margie Moffat, co-founder of AT Mays travel agency, a year after
the death of her husband Jim Moffat. The Moffat Charitable Trust
focuses on supporting children and young people, carers, education
and training, sports, arts and communities and currently disburses
around £3 million per annum.
• The Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) enables communities to
celebrate, look after and learn more about our diverse
heritage. There is a plethora of activity going on in
Scotland's museum sector at the moment stimulated by HLF investment
- national institutions such as The Royal Museum, Kelvingrove and
the new Riverside Museum, regional museums such as the Fergusson
Gallery and Shetland Museum, and local museums such as Dunblane.
HLF has invested a total of £145 million in the country's museum
sector, providing a pathway to education and impressive showcases
for Scotland's outstanding collections.
• Scotland: A Changing Nation will bring together a
captivating range of Scottish stories, words, costumes,
photographs, objects and film. Opening at the National Museum
of Scotland on 11 July 2008, the permanent gallery will present a
bold and innovative look at modern Scotland over the last
century.
For more information contact:
Anne McMunn or Joanne Bell
Porter Novelli
T: 0131 470 3400
E: charlotte.rowland@porternovelli.co.uk