As an independent charity, we raise all our own funds to run the museum.
It costs over £20,000 per month to maintain our building and the museum collection, provide activities for visiting schools and run dozens of events throughout the year. We can’t do all of this without help, so your donation – whatever the size – is really appreciated.
If you would like to make a one-off or a regular donation, please click on the button below.
Please also complete the Gift Aid declaration if you are able to, so that we can claim an extra 25p for every pound you donate.
Thank you for your support.
The museum is currently part of the Co-op’s Local Community Fund which means that Co-op Members can help raise money for our cause – Tuesday’s Tonic, the museum’s free fortnightly ‘wellbeing’ arts & crafts sessions for people living with dementia and for their carers. The fundraising period will run until next year, closing on 19 October 2024. Until then, you can sign in or become a Co-op member to support us here https://membership.coop.co.uk/causes/77676
Co-op members anywhere in the UK can select the museum as their cause with just one click.
Donating items to the museum collection
The geographical area which our collections activity relates to is the seven Derwent Parishes – Keswick, Borrowdale, St.Johns, Castlerigg & Wythburn, Underskiddaw, Bassenthwaite, Threlkeld and Above Derwent. Due to limited storage and display space, only unique items with good provenance and which contribute clearly to the story of the area are now collected.
As an accredited museum we have a responsibility to make sure that, when acquiring additions to our collection, their care, documentation arrangements and use meet the requirements of the Museum Accreditation Standard.
If you think you may have something we might wish to add to our collection, in the first instance please e-mail our Curator Nicola Lawson at curator@keswickmuseum.org.uk with a little background information and ideally a few photos.
Please DO NOT send unsolicited object donations, as we cannot collect everything and we need to have a signature for everything that comes into our care – even if you think ‘if they don’t want it they can throw it away’, we need this in writing with a signature from the legal owner!