MUSEUM chiefs hope they have done enough to ensure a £12m funding bid proves a hit.

A party from Swindon Museum and Art Gallery Trust travelled to Exeter to hand over the multi-million pound bid today. 

They will hear in March whether the Heritage Lottery Fund has green lit their proposal. If successful, it will help kick start the creation of a purpose-built new museum in the town centre.

Rod Hebden, director of the Swindon Museum and Art Gallery Trust, said: “It felt good to hand it over. The HLF have got a job to go through it.” 

Rod was joined by a team from the museum trust on the long trip down to Exeter. The journey started at the current Swindon Museum and Art Gallery on Bath Road, where bid supporters met to wave the team off. 
Driving a Swindon-built Honda, they visited supporters at Drove Road Primary School and the UK Space Agency, before boarding a GWR train to Devon – where they were met by a Mini. 

Rod said: “We could have sent the bid by courier, but where’s the fun in that? We have to do it with a bit of character and personality.” 

As well as the 750-page bid document, the group travelled with 5,000 postcards signed by supporters of the bid.

“The HLF were quite surprised to see all the boxes of postcards,” said Rod.

“We came with a lot of support. I don’t think the HLF usually get that. But Swindon doesn’t do things like everybody else. We need to do stuff with a bit more character.” 

The museum trust responsible for writing the bid are hoping that £12m lottery funding will secure a further £5m in funds from the council, £5m from private funders and £1m from the Local Enterprise Partnership.

Rod said: “Without getting the funding the project can’t happen. That’s the reality. If that happens our collections and the art sits in storage or up on the hill away from people. I think that’s desperate. 

“I think Swindon deserves this project and they deserve to have their museum objects and their art out on display.”

The project has cross party support in Swindon.

Garry Perkins, cabinet member for regeneration, said: “I think we’ve got such a fantastic bid going in, we must have a good chance.”

And Jane Milner-Barry, ward councillor for Old Town and labour group spokeswoman for culture, added: “We expect the museum to make a major contribution to the regeneration of the town centre. It’s a beautiful building.”

Pointing to the presence of the Science Museum, Steam, Bodleian Library, English Heritage and the National Trust, Liberal Democrat councillor Stan Pajak said: “Swindon is on the verge of becoming the most important historical reference point in the country.”