Independent trust to save Wandsworth Museum
Local Charitable Foundation to help relocation to West Hill Library
In January this year this website broke the news of the proposed closure of Wandsworth Museum, however on 28th March Wandsworth Council announced that it is joining forces with the Hintze Family Charitable Foundation, a major international sponsor of the arts, to establish a new plan for Wandsworth Museum.
The proposal would involve the setting up of an independent trust to manage the museum. Trustees would have access to the existing collection and would run the new service with support from volunteers.
Wandsworth Council is planning to move the existing library from West Hill to a prominent town centre location at the Court House in Garratt Lane. This is expected to be open by 2009.
Council leader Edward Lister said, "Council-run museums face an uncertain future in the current funding climate. We are looking at a new-style operation which can combine private sponsorship with volunteer activity. This will be an important local asset and learning resource which I am sure will be attractive to schools. "
In order to provide the local community with continued access to the Wandsworth Museum collection, the Hintze Family Charitable Foundation has committed, in principle, to finance a new museum trust that would be based at the old West Hill library building. This would allow the entire collection of the current museum plus the privately-run De Morgan Collection of ceramics and paintings to continue to be housed together under one roof.
The new museum trust would be formed in conjunction with Michael and Dorothy Hintze - local residents and philanthropists - who are to offer a potential commitment of £2 million towards the new charitable venture.
Executive member for environment and leisure Malcolm Grimston added, "The Hintze family's support has given us the chance to put the museum on a firm footing both financially and artistically. We will be aiming to bring in the expertise that will help to make the museum a success as a viable, independent local facility."
A spokesperson for the group campaigning to save the museum said, "The Wandsworth Museum Campaign Group warmly welcomes the intervention and generous offer of funding from the Hintze Family Charitable Foundation. The Council's decision to reverse its plans to disperse and dispose of the Museum collection, developed and built up painstakingly over 20 years is a major concession. Credit for securing this change of heart by the Council must go to the many thousands of Wandsworth residents from all parts of the community who lobbied their councillors and their MPs, who wrote to the press and the media, distributed leaflets and signed the petitions."
John Horrocks of the Putney Society said "
This is excellent news! It vindicates all those who have worked so hard over the last few weeks to try to save the splendid Wandsworth Museum. Some 20,000 people have signed the various petitions calling for the Museum to be saved - they have achieved a major success. Well done to all those concerned in this outcome."
The group now hopes to build on the momentum and the fund of goodwill arising out of the campaign which saw over 17,000 people sign a petition in favour of keeping the museum open. The campaign's spokesperson added, "This will be essential in ensuring that the future of the new Museum, once it is established in West Hill, is fully secured and free from the threats we have seen arise from the short-term priorities of Council budgets and policies."
The Wandsworth Museum Campaign Group will be offering its time and efforts to help in finding supplementary sources of funding, in assisting in the establishment of a suitable trust and in providing volunteers to help run the new facility at West Hill. The formation of a Friends of Wandsworth Museum is already underway.
Michael Hintze, chairman of the Hintze Family Charitable Foundation said, "My wife, my children and I believe Wandsworth Museum to be a vital part of our local community. Over the years we have seen drastic cuts in the amount of government money being provided to local authorities. However, we feel it is crucial to maintain our local cultural heritage and are therefore committed to ensuring this excellent resource remains available to all who wish to use it."
The Hintze Family Charitable Foundation makes significant and wide-ranging philanthropic contributions. Among recent major donations, it has provided major funding for Trinity Hospice's new In-Patient Centre, assisted appeals at St. Luke's Church Battersea and St. Vincent de Paul Church Clapham, sponsored two major galleries at the Victoria & Albert Museum, provided vital funding to the Old Vic Theatre, established the chair of International Security at the University of Sydney and enabled the restoration of Michelangelo's frescoes in the Pauline Chapel at the Vatican.
The Hintzes work closely with many charities in a variety of ways and Michael Hintze is a Trustee of the Prince's Foundation for the Built Environment, a member of the International Council of the V&A, a Patron of the Arts of the Vatican Museum, and a patron of the Prince's Trust.
March 30, 2007
