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Anglo Saxon Hoard Saved

Subscribe to RSS RSSTuesday, 30th March, 2010

Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery and the Potteries Museum and Art Gallery, Stoke on Trent are celebrating today following the announcement that the £3.3 million needed to acquire the Staffordshire Hoard has been secured a month ahead of schedule - but the fundraising continues.

The announcement comes after news that the National Heritage Memorial Fund (NHMF) has approved a donation of £1.285 million to meet the initial target of £3.3 million needed to acquire the Hoard by the Birmingham and Stoke museums.

The new joint owners of the Hoard are now focussing their attention on raising a further £1.7million so that the full story of the Hoard can be told with a Mercian Trail and special individual displays. Working with Lichfield, Tamworth and Staffordshire Councils, our trail will take visitors on a voyage of Anglo-Saxon Discovery. However, before this can happen money is needed for essential conservation and research work to take place on the 1600 items that make up the Hoard.

The Hoard was discovered by a local metal detecting enthusiast in a field in Burntwood, West Midlands last July. It was declared Treasure in September and valued at £3.3million by the Treasure Valuation Committee in November 2009. The fundraising appeal fronted by the Art Fund with historian Dr David Starkey was launched on 13 January 2010 with the aim of keeping the Staffordshire Hoard in the West Midlands region.

Councillor Martin Mullaney, Cabinet Member for Leisure Sport and Culture said: "It is great achievement to secure the hoard for the West Midlands Region. Not only have we managed to raise the necessary £3.285million to return the hoard to its rightful home a month ahead of schedule but a staggering £900,000 of this has been raised by personal donations. I have been overwhelmed by the public response and can't thank enough everyone who has given and supported our campaign in helping us bringing the Hoard home."

A selection of 120 items from the Staffordshire Hoard is currently on display at Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery and The Potteries Museum and Art Gallery in Stoke-on-Trent. Details on how to continue to contribute to the fundraising campaign are available on the Museum’s website at www.bmag.org.uk/support-us or through the Art Fund www.artfund.org/hoard For further information on Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery, please visit www.bmag.org.uk.

A documentary programme on the Staffordshire Hoard by National Geographic will be broadcast on Nat Geo UK on Sunday 28 March at 8pm and repeated on Monday 29 March at 2pm and 7pm. It will also be broadcast on Channel Four on Monday 12 April, at a time to be confirmed.

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Jason Lewis:

0121 303 4266, 07980 270540 jason_lewis@birmingham.gov.uk