Taken from THE OXFORD TIMES:-
CAMPAIGNERS have begun their quest to raise £400,000 to complete the regeneration of Abingdon’s historic County Hall Museum.
Abingdon Museum Friends launched their appeal at a special evening last Wednesday and will hold a fundraising event every month in a bid to raise the money within two years.
The £3.5m project has received almost £2m from the Heritage Lottery Fund, and grants from Abingdon Town Council, the Vale of White Horse District Council and Oxfordshire County Council.
Work is due to start on the project in the autumn and the museum will reopen in the spring of 2012 after every floor has been refurbished and re-equipped.
There will be three new galleries on the second floor, including an MG Gallery, and the educational and community facilities will be extended and improved.
Down in the basement, the museum’s 1902 gas-powered water pump will be displayed showing its moving parts. A lift will provide access for disabled people.
The chairman of Abingdon Museum Friends, Sheila Hills, said: “This is a really fantastic opportunity to bring a famous much loved building, the symbol of Abingdon, into active use for the 21st century.
The museum will open its roof to visitors on Saturday 19th June - for more details visit the website Abingdon Museum.