We have launched a fundraising campaign via JustGiving to help museum funds.

The museum closed to the public in mid-March 2020 and so when we reopen in Spring of 2021 we will have gone a complete year without our main source of income, visitors. This has resulted in us having to rely on our financial reserves and try to obtain financial support wherever we have found it to be available. This has been successful to an extent but the reserves are now very depleted, financial support is limited and we are about to go through another winter with no income.

We are delighted that we are now planning for reopening on 3rd April 2021 but the social distancing restrictions that we have to adhere to mean that we are likely to be running at 40% capacity, which means only 40% of our normal income.

To help us going forward we have actively reviewed every aspect of our expenditure. Some costs are discretionary, but many are not. Utility bills, insurance , security and our mortgage remain as the broad base of our fixed costs and it is very difficult to influence the level of these significantly, although not impossible. e.g. If we paid off our remaining mortgage we would be able to reduce our base costs by 20% every year for the next 5 years.

The museum has always promoted itself as being interesting, educational, engaging, and supportive and operating as a coherent part of the community in which it resides. We are now seeking your support to help us whilst we recover from the impact of the recent pandemic.

We need to rebuild our visitor numbers, our volunteer numbers and our financial strength to ensure that we return to be a resilient and active part of the community which we serve.

If you feel you are able to help then please visit https://www.justgiving.com/campaign/FlyHigh and make a donation. Every penny will go towards the ongoing running costs of the museum and help us ensure its future.

Thank you