The Museums, Libraries and Archives Council (MLA) today welcomed the news that the Staffordshire Hoard, the largest archaeological Anglo-Saxon find ever unearthed, has been saved for the nation. The National Heritage Memorial Fund (NHMF), the government’s fund of last resort for heritage items at risk, pledged £1,285,000 – bringing the campaign to the £3.3m target, just over three weeks ahead of schedule.
Jon Finch, MLA Director of Engagement, said: "The MLA is delighted at the announcement that funding has now been secured to purchase the Staffordshire Hoard for the benefit of the communities of the West Midlands and beyond. We were pleased to lead the development of the fundraising strategy and chair the group that oversaw the campaign. We are now working with Government Office West Midlands and local authority partners to develop an appropriate governance structure for the Staffordshire Hoard Partnership."
Thanks to the support of the public, trusts and foundations, and the £1,285,000 NHMF grant, the find has now been safely secured for Birmingham Museums & Art Gallery and the Potteries Museum & Art Gallery, Stoke-on-Trent. On 13 January 2010 The Art Fund launched the campaign to save the Staffordshire Hoard on behalf of both acquiring museums with a £300,000 grant and with generous pledges of £100,000 each from Birmingham and Stoke City Councils.
Cllr Martin Mullaney, Cabinet Member for Leisure Sport and Culture for Birmingham City Council said: “It is great achievement to secure the hoard for the West Midlands Region. Not only have we managed to raise the necessary £3.3 million to return the hoard to its rightful home a month ahead of schedule but a staggering £900,000 of this has been raised by personal donations. I have been overwhelmed by the public response and can’t thank enough everyone who has given and supported our campaign in helping us bringing the Hoard home.”
Councillor Hazel Lyth, Stoke-on-Trent City Council, said: “This grant from the National Heritage Memorial Fund is the cherry on the cake of an extraordinary fundraising campaign which has highlighted how proud and determined the local community have been to keep the Staffordshire Hoard in the region. But this is great news for the whole country; we can now begin to unlock the secrets held within this amazing collection.”
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Notes to editors
The Staffordshire Hoard
The treasure was discovered in a field in the West Midlands in July last year by metal detectorist Terry Herbert The find was reported to Duncan Slarke, Finds Liaison Officer of the Portable Antiquities Scheme (PAS), who contacted Roger Bland, Head of the PAS and Kevin Leahy, National Finds Adviser. Birmingham Archaeology carried out the excavation, funded by English Heritage, and this was completed within a month. The Hoard was sent to the Coroner of South Staffordshire and declared treasure on 24 September 2009. On 25 November 2009 the Treasure Valuation Committee reached its valuation of £3.3 million, and the museums interested in acquiring the Hoard were asked to confirm their intentions. The TVC then generated an ‘invoice’ to the museums, giving four months from this date for the money to be raised. This gave the 17 April deadline. The Hoard comprises over 1,500 items made of gold, silver and precious stones, and dates back to the 7th Century. Mostly military in nature, it is by far the largest find of Anglo-Saxon gold ever recorded, with over 5kg of gold and 1.3kg of silver. The Hoard promises to transform our understanding of the lives of the Anglo-Saxon people, and the role the region of Mercia played in history.
Portable Antiquities Scheme (PAS)
The PAS is a voluntary scheme managed by the British Museum on behalf of the Museums Libraries and Archives Council (MLA) to record archaeological objects (not necessarily ‘Treasure’) found by members of the public in England and Wales. Every year many thousands of objects are discovered, many of these by metal-detector users, but also by people whilst out walking, gardening or going about their daily work. Such discoveries offer an important source for understanding our past. More information can be found on www.finds.org.uk. The PAS is funded through Renaissance.
Renaissance is the MLA’s ground-breaking programme to transform England’s regional museums. Through its targeted investment, and cultivation of local, regional and national partnerships, it strives for excellence to raise standards and deliver real results in support of education, learning, community development and economic regeneration.