13 April 2010

We won the battle to save the Hoard for the West Midlands – and today the Art Fund is delighted to announce that £270,000 has already been raised towards the wider fundraising campaign for £1.7 million needed to support its future conservation and display.

On 1 April, Staffordshire County Council and Tamworth Borough Council and announced they would join forces and give £100,000 in total towards the £1.7m required, with Staffordshire donating over £80,000 and Tamworth £20,000. A further £80,000 has come in from public donations via the Art Fund’s website and a further £60,000 has come from trusts and foundations.

Philip Atkins, Leader of Staffordshire County Council, said that the local fundraising endeavour “shows the commitment Staffordshire Authorities have to bringing the Staffordshire Hoard back to the region. “ He described the campaign as “a long term investment in the county's heritage and in our future” and detailed how the funds were raised: "County Councillors have donated nearly £40,000 from their Local Community Fund, while money is still coming in from a number of fund-raising events. This included a sell-out talk by the county council's archaeological team at the Stafford Gatehouse Theatre that was attended by over 400 people."

The excitement of the Hoard’s discovery – and what it means to the West Midlands – is highlighted in a brand new National Geographic documentary entitled Saxon Gold: Finding the Hoard. Billed as the first programme to uncover “the secret location where the multi-million pound Staffordshire Hoard was unearthed”, it premiered on the National Geographic channel on Sunday 28 March and airs on Channel 4 on 12 April. The Hoard’s official burial site had to be kept strictly under wraps until the emission date, as archaeologists scoured every inch of earth on the site to ensure that no more treasures lay hidden. The programme will be screened at various times on the National Geographic channel until the end of the month. For more information visit here.

Working together, local councils in the West Midlands plan to spend the £1.7m to show off the splendour and mystery of the Hoard and its relevance to the region, which was known as Mercia in Anglo-Saxon times. Plans include the creation of a “Mercian Trail” which would highlight the fascinating history of the Anglo-Saxon kingdom. The Hoard was unearthed near to Lichfield, a town which already contains two other Anglo-Saxon treasures: the illuminated St Chad Gospels, and a stone angel. The £1.7m will also facilitate the future loan of items from the Hoard to key historic venues such as Tamworth Castle and Lichfield Cathedral – both important Mercian sites.

The Art Fund continues to receive contributions via its dedicated microsite, www.artfund.org/hoard.
 

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