Friends of Ipswich Museums charity thanked for securing £275,000 for £8.7 million Ipswich Museum refurbishment

A charity has been thanked for securing £275,000 towards a Suffolk museum's refurbishment.

The Friends of the Ipswich Museums charity has been thanked by Colchester and Ipswich Museums Service for the funds going towards the £8.7 million Ipswich Museum refurbishment.

A sum of £75,000 from the Foyle Foundation has been received, in addition to a £150,000 grant from The Garfield Weston Foundation and the Friends has also pledged £50,000 of their own funds.

The moves help contribute to the other funding from the National Lottery Heritage Fund, The Wolfson Trust and Ipswich Borough Council towards the total cost of the museum's re-development project.

Councillor Carole Jones, Ipswich Borough Council portfolio holder for planning and museums, said: “The Friends of the Ipswich Museums are wonderful champions for our museum service and the additional funding they can bring is greatly appreciated.

"As a group they work so hard to support Ipswich Museum, we are so grateful for all their efforts and the important role they have which enhances the service in so many ways."

Richard Wilson, chair of The Friends of the Ipswich Museums, added: “The recent grant from the Foyle Foundation is a further acknowledgement of the Museum’s excellent redevelopment plans that we are pleased to support.

"We are excited that the regeneration project is under way and that we have been able to support Ipswich Museum to raise funding towards the project."

The Foyle Foundation is an independent grant-making trust that has been operating since 2001. It delivers wishes made in the will of the late Christina Foyle, daughter of William Foyle who with his brother, founded the famous family-owned bookshop Foyles in London.