Staffordshire Hoard Appeal launched in Birmingham

7.02.00pm GMT Wed 13th Jan 2010

Cllr Martin Mullaney has welcomed the launch of an appeal to keep the Staffordshire Hoard in the West Midlands. Photo by portableantiquities - http://www.flickr.com/photos/finds/

An appeal has been launched to save the Staffordshire Hoard for the West Midlands. Historian Dr David Starkey joined was among those at the launch by The Art Fund charity of the campaign to raise the £3.3m needed by 17 April to save the Anglo-Saxon treasures for Birmingham Museums and Art Gallery and the Potteries Museum and Art Gallery in Stoke-on-Trent.

Councillor Martin Mullaney, Cabinet Member for Leisure, Sport & Culture, said: "The discovery of the Staffordshire Hoard is of huge significance - in regional, national and indeed international terms."

"Experts and specialists will want to pore over these finds for many years to come. And there has been huge public interest in the treasure. After the initial discovery of the Hoard - with the kind permission of the British Museum - a short term display of some of the finds was hosted at Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery. What followed was pretty phenomenal. Over a 19 day period - some 40,000 members of the public queued up (with great patience) to see the display. Many of them contributed very generously to the appeal raising nearly £40,000. This clearly demonstrates the local passion to bring this treasure back to the West Midlands."

The Art Fund has unveiled the official donation website at www.artfund.org/hoard and made an initial grant of £300,000. Birmingham City Council, which runs Birmingham Museums and Art Gallery, has announced that it is giving £100,000 towards the campaign and Stoke-on-Trent City Council, which runs the Potteries Museum and Art Gallery, will also give £100,000.

Related Links:

Appeal to save the Staffordshire Hoad.

Reflections on the launch of the Art Fund's Staffordshire Hoard Appeal by Cllr Martin Mullaney.