Gift a Day
Gift a Day gives you the chance to fund the incredible work of the Ironbridge Gorge Museum Trust for 24 hours.
Do you want to help preserve our heritage of the Industrial Revolution for future generations?
Perhaps you have fond memories of visiting our museums with your parents, grandparents or even on a school trip…and maybe you’re retracing your steps, bringing your own family.
Or maybe you want to make a difference in your local community.
Whatever your reason for supporting us, your donation will significantly impact our conservation and education work.
Discover the magic of a typical day at our museums
From opening to closing, every visit, donation and membership helps preserve our rich heritage for future generations.
What is Gift a Day?
Gift a Day allows you to commemorate a special date by sponsoring our conservation and education work for one day.
Your donation will pay for an entire day of running Ironbridge Gorge Museum Trust - from maintaining the ambient temperature required to preserve our collections to hands-on learning educational workshops.
It can also be the day a child’s eyes light up as they learn about history; the day a grandad takes his grandchild to his favourite museum, creating new memories; or the day someone learns about an endangered craft such as clay pipe making.
Can I choose my day?
Yes! Everyone has a date in the calendar that means something special to them and Gift a Day is a way of marking this date and supporting the Ironbridge Gorge Museum Trust at the same time.
It could be a birthday, anniversary or the day your company was founded, or perhaps it is a day that had a special meaning for someone no longer with us.
How much is it?
It costs us £15,000 every day to run our ten museums, conserve and restore our collections and deliver our education and learning programmes.
You could also choose to Gift Half a Day or if there is a museum you love, why not fund it for a day or a week?
Who can Gift a Day?
Anyone! You may like to Gift a Day as an individual, community group or company – it’s up to you.
Gift a Day is your opportunity to make a difference. With your help, we can continue to protect our heritage and educate visitors of all ages.
Fun Fact...
Did you know that giving to charity was an important tradition for the Victorian middle class? They had the wealth and ability to help those in need and understood the moral and social benefits of taking part in charitable work.
The Victorians were also the first to place importance on looking after what we would recognise today as cultural heritage. They valued pre-industrial buildings and artwork and recognised the dangers they faced in a world that was changing so quickly. As a result, they were the first to set up societies and museums to protect ancient structures, objects and stories.
Recognising your support
If you Gift a Day, we want you to know how grateful we are and ensure your day is as enjoyable and memorable as possible.
We can mark it in several ways or you can choose to keep your Gift a Day private, if you wish.
- A personalised certificate for you to display physically or digitally
- A thank you on our social media platforms
- A thank you on our TV screens within museum receptions
- A thank you (and logo) on the webpage and in our newsletter
- Volunteering opportunities plus employee engagement through access to our museums
- Behind the scenes VIP tour at a museum of your choice
- An in-person or virtual presentation about our work to your company or group
Image shows Nick Darrall, Managing Director at iconsys, and Nick Ralls, CEO of the Ironbridge Gorge Museum Trust
CELEBRATING OUR FIRST GIFT
Within weeks of launching the Gift a Day initiative, the Ironbridge Gorge Museum Trust was delighted to receive its first gift.
Telford company iconsys, a leading UK automation solutions provider and systems integrator, paid to sponsor a week of running costs at Enginuity museum for the first week of the school holidays in summer 2024.
iconsys has also sent three of its technical experts to Enginuity to spend time with curators helping to repair and maintain some of its popular interactives.
Find out more on our Latest News page.
For more information, please contact our Fundraising Team at fundraising.manager@ironbridge.org.uk