Fitzwilliam's fundraising drive for local young people raises £30,000

The Fitzwilliam Museum is celebrating after a recent donations challenge has raised the funds to bring about a life-changing new project with Soham Schools.

Part of the national initiative The Big Arts Give - which helps individual giving to cultural organisations go further by doubling the donations - this online campaign raised £30,000. The funds raised will now create The Fitzwilliam Museum and Soham Schools Partnership, transforming the lives of young people in rural East Cambridgeshire by giving them unprecedented access to a world of cultural inspiration through the Museum.

"We're delighted with the response to this campaign which was a new venture for us," said Sue Rhodes, Development Officer at the Fitzwilliam Museum, "Our sincere thanks go to all of the donors who played their part, of which there were nearly one hundred. It's been interesting to witness first-hand the possibilities of online fundraising, and also the role played by social media in this kind of campaign, as the Museum's presence on Twitter and Facebook were crucial."

Thanks to the funds raised, children and young people in the Soham area will be given new opportunities not only to visit the Museum guided by experts, but also to get 'behind the scenes' and engage directly with the Fitzwilliam's collections in their own schools. Read more about the project

21 December 2010