Wonderful news today that the New Brighton Museum has received a grant from the Lotteries commission, which together with what they had already raised, will give them enough to buy the museum building! Well done to Peggy Butterfield, the committee and volunteers for getting this project over the line. The large team of volunteers, led by Peggy and others have worked tirelessly to fundraise through events, such as the garage sale I attended earlier this year.
The building itself represents a significant amount of New Brighton history, at 110 years old it is the oldest in New Brighton (used to be St Enoch’s Presbyterian church). The museum has been operating for 20 years with the volunteers acting as the “keepers of history” for New Brighton, a role that needed to be preserved. Twenty-five people volunteer at the museum, with different roles from historians to archivists, all of whom work to preserve the history of New Brighton through displays.
They are still fund-raising to upgrade the building outside and inside, with a new sign and garden on the Beresford St corner. You can donate here with one easy click: https://givealittle.co.nz/cause/purchase-of-museum-building-at-8-hardy-street
Pop in and pick up some books to read before the weather turns bad. Open every day from 1 to 3
Their journey here: ‘We’re the keeper of the history’: $175k needed to save museum building | Star News (odt.co.nz)
