LONDON.- The fundraising appeal to save the Wedgwood Collection has now brought in an extraordinary £1 million in donations from the general public (up from £700,000 just four days ago), helping to unlock a further £1 million of unprecedented support from a series of major donors, trusts and foundations, and propelling the total raised through the appeal to £2 million to date.

The Art Fund launched the £2.74m public appeal to save the Wedgwood Collection on Monday 1 September. The £2.74m target was the final tranche of a full £15.75m fundraising campaign which had already raised just over £13m from the Heritage Lottery Fund, the Art Fund and other private support.

Just 19 days into the fundraising appeal to save the Wedgwood Collection, the Art Fund has said that this exceptional wave of significant donations and pledges totalling £2m has left the appeal with just under £750,000 of the full £15.75m target still to raise.

Stephen Deuchar, director of the Art Fund, said: “This is truly extraordinary in our fundraising history. Exceptional public support has triggered a tide of pledges of another £1m from major donors, trusts and foundations – bringing the total raised as of today to £2m. With just under £750,000 to go, we continue to talk to several further potential funders. The remarkable affection and concern for the Wedgwood Collection has never been so profoundly visible as through the convergence of so many individuals, trusts and foundations. Every single donor in the community of givers should be immensely proud of the scale of what has been achieved to date.”

The Art Fund has until 30 November to save the Wedgwood Collection. The public appeal to raise £2.74m was launched on Monday 1 September, having raised just over £13m of the full £15.75m target through the Heritage Lottery Fund, private trusts and the Art Fund. Now that £2m has been raised through the public appeal, we have just under £750,000 still needing to be raised.

The first £500,000 of public donations was match funded by a private trust – bringing the total raised by public to £1m.

How to donate:
Web: savewedgwood.org
Phone: call 0844 415 4100
SMS: text WEDGWOOD to 70800 and donate £10