Exmouth Museum is appealing for new volunteers as it prepares to reopen after a nail-biting four-year fundraising campaign to secure its premises.

Thanks to a loan from East Devon District Council, the museum's trustees have bought the building in Sheppards Row from its owners, South West Water.

The trustees will still need to raise the money to repay the council's loan, but now that they own the building, they are in a better position to apply for grant funding to meet their costs.

However, they also need to add new members to their volunteer management and stewardship team to ensure that the museum can obtain the necessary finances and continue operating.

A lengthy period of uncertainty

The fundraising campaign was launched in 2017 after South West Water offered the museum the chance to buy the building, before it was put on the open market.

Over the next few years, around £72,000 was raised towards a target of £150,000, from donations including a large anonymous gift, contributions from local businesses and societies, and fundraising activities.

Many local supporters contributed to the campaign, with some making several donations, giving sums of around £50 as and when they could.

But the total was a long way short of the target until October 2019, when East Devon District Council agreed to borrow up to £105,000 from the Public Works Loans Board - which lends money from central funding to local authorities for capital projects – and in turn lend the money to the trustees.

The Covid pandemic led to further delays in the negotiations, but the purchase of the building was confirmed by the trustees in a Facebook post last week.

Dozens of people posted comments welcoming the news and saying they look forward to visiting the museum when it's open again.

Looking to the museum's future

No opening date for Exmouth Museum has been announced yet.

But the trustees are urgently appealing for people with a range of skills who would be willing to give up a few hours a week to help – or offer their time and expertise on a temporary basis.

They would like to hear from anyone who has experience of management and/or admin, along with IT and digital skills.

They will need help with fundraising and applying for grants – as well as displays, research, design and illustration.

They also need people with practical skills including carpentry, construction and transporting equipment.

Anyone who is interested in getting involved is asked to email [email protected] or contact the trustees through the museum's Facebook page.