£75,000 from the Foyle Foundation was recently secured, in addition to a £150,000 grant from The Garfield Weston Foundation thanks to their efforts, with the Friends also pledging £50,000 of their own funds. These join funding from the National Lottery Heritage Fund, The Wolfson Trust and Ipswich Borough Council towards the total cost of the Museum re-development project.
The Foyle Foundation is an independent grant-making trust that has been operating since 2001. It delivers wishes made in the will of the late Christina Foyle, daughter of William Foyle who with his brother, founded the famous family-owned bookshop Foyles in London.
Councillor Carole Jones, Ipswich Borough Council Portfolio Holder for Planning and Museums, says:
“The Friends of the Ipswich Museums are wonderful champions for our museum service and the additional funding they can bring is greatly appreciated. As a group they work so hard to support Ipswich Museum, we are so grateful for all their efforts and the important role they have which enhances the service in so many ways. Thank you.”
Richard Wilson, Chair of The Friends of the Ipswich Museums, adds:
“The recent grant from the Foyle Foundation is a further acknowledgement of the Museum’s excellent redevelopment plans that we are pleased to support. We are excited that the regeneration project is under way and that we have been able to support Ipswich Museum to raise funding towards the project."
The Friends of the Ipswich Museums is a registered charity (charity number 1184000). Their next event on 30 March is a conversation in response to the Landscape Rebels exhibition (on display in Christchurch Mansion until 16 April) between Susan Owens, acclaimed author of Spirit of Place: Artist, Writers & the British Landscape, and Lord Deben, Chair of The Climate Change Commission. To find out more, including how to become a member, visit www.foim.org.uk
Ipswich Museum closed in October 2022 and is scheduled to reopen in 2025. More information and updates about the redevelopment project can be found at: www.ipswichmuseum.co.uk
Image credit – Ipswich Borough Council
