A BRIGHT future for the Swindon Museum and Art Gallery was celebrated at the current site of the art collection.

The Friends of Swindon Museum and Art Gallery hosted the event with special guest speakers as they outlined the latest developments of the project to bring a new multi-million-pound gallery to the town centre.

Hosted by chairman of the Friends Linda Kasmaty, this was the second year the social gathering has taken place, although she said there have been huge developments in the museum’s story since this time last year.

Linda said: “Since then things have moved on somewhat. Hadrian Ellory-van Dekker has been appointed as director and we have a fabulous model of what the new museum and art gallery might look like, so we are at a very exciting time and I think it is important to build on that energy.”

The friends are a separate entity from the museum, and are all volunteers tasked with promoting the gallery and fundraising for its future.

Council leader David Renard was also in attendance and outlined how proud he was that part of Swindon’s eclectic art collection was currently drawing guests at the Osborne Samuel Gallery in London’s Mayfair.

Chairman of the trust Robert Hiscox also spoke to the gathered guests, in between canapes.

He sang Swindon’s praises and its cultural credentials: “We have a top architect who has produced a top design, what we need is for people in Swindon to want this.

“This will be the best investment the council has ever made. The locality will improve, the coffee will improve and so then does peoples’ spirits.

“I used to say that Swindon lacks a heart, and every town needs a heart. This is why I get rather positive about this proposal and bore people to death with it.”

The design of the new gallery will be put out to tender once funding has been secured to reach its estimated £22m pricetag.

Mr Ellory-van Dekker also spoke, and praised the work of the friends to support the museum and art gallery, and announced that Mrs Kasmaty would be joining the board of trustees to see the project going forward.