A museum dedicated to the UK’s exit from the European Union has taken another step towards becoming reality fter the body behind the plans was given charitable status.
The Brexit Museum confirmed on Sunday that it would begin fundraising after being given the green light from the Charity Commission.
Trustees hope to raise £400,000 to purchase a property, with sources confirming that they are looking at locations in the Midlands, including Dudley and Boston, which voted heavily to leave in the 2016 referendum.
Following the initial fundraising drive, they will seek to raise a further £250,000 to set up the museum and hire staff with professional backgrounds.
The newly-formed charity hopes to raise funding from “high net worth” individuals and business figures who backed Brexit, as well as through a crowdfunding campaign that will invite donations from members of the public.
It comes after the organisers revealed last year they were hoping to secure a number of items of historic significance to the UK’s long journey to Brexit, including a 1975 pro-European flag jumper worn by Margaret Thatcher as well as the pen used to sign the 1957 Treaty of Rome.
The collection aims to “tell the story of the Eurosceptic Movement and its people across the decades” and act as a useful resource to both academics and members of the public.
On Sunday night Alex Deane, a trustee of the museum, said: “There is a tremendous story behind this that deserves to be preserved. Unless we act fast, much of the material from the referendum will be lost. Gaps will then be filled with misperceptions, fake news and myth.
“Our objective is to plug that gap at the time when it is easiest – right now, while memories are fresh, attics are still filled with treasures and before items and stories get lost.”
Welcoming the announcement, the former Chancellor Lord Lawson said: “The debate about the United Kingdom’s evolving relationship with its neighbours, and its place in the world, has been of critical national significance. We need to capture those records and stories for posterity.”
Lord Owen, a former Foreign Secretary, said: “This is an important initiative recognised by the Charity Commission, and I encourage everyone to contribute.”