Museum has enough funds to start repairs

Press, 12 September 1987, Page 8

Museum has enough funds to start repairs

An encouraging response to the Canterbury Museum’s fund-rais-ing campaign has meant' that restructuring work has already begun. With $630,000 in confirmed gifts, it had been decided there was enough money to start work on a small area, said Mr Colin Briggs, the museum’s fund-raising consultant, yesterday.' Work has begun on altering the old theatre in preparation for a special exhibitions hall. This area will become a temporary entrance when other parts of the museum are being restored. Mr Briggs emphasised

that although $630,000 was a good beginning, there was still a long way to go to reach the campaign’s goal. The museum hopes to raise a total of $3 million for its restructuring and retrengthening project, which will cost an estimated $4 million. The crack seen in the photograph is an example of why the work needs to be done. It had been noticed on the outside of the museum, but it was not known how severe it was until the displays in the Bird Hall were dismantled recently. Four sub-committees have been set up for the

fund-raising. The Government, Trust Bank Canterbury, and Mair Astley, Ltd, have so far been the main contributors. The Government has given $200,000, and the others, $lOO,OOO each. The task of the main gifts committee, chaired by Sir Allan Wright, has been to approach the major corporations. Its work is expected to be finished by the end of October. The key gifts committee, chaired by Mr Tim de Castro, will begin work in the next few weeks. Its brief is to approach local business and professional people.