A new charity is trying to raise £1m to create a museum celebrating the Brexit referendum result.
The idea of a museum commemorating Britain’s withdrawal from the European Union was first raised nearly three years ago.
The Brexit Museum, whose trustees all worked on the Leave campaign in 2016, said that the money would allow the charity to secure a building and then set up the museum.
Its home is likely to be outside London, in a region of the UK which supported the Leave campaign.
Memorabilia and archive
The organisation registered as a charity in January.
In addition to seeking funds, the trustees have invited the public to supply memorabilia of the Brexit vote, including photographs, campaign posters and literature, and relevant personal correspondence.
The charity will collect and display items connected to Britain’s withdrawal from the European Union, as well as providing an academic archive and offering “informed but apolitical support” to anyone interest in Brexit, according to the charity’s website.
It adds that it wants to collect items from all sides of the EU debate, “to record the whole story” of Brexit.
A story 'that deserves to be preserved'
The Charity Commission lists three trustees, all of whom worked on the Leave campaign in 2016: Lee Rotherham, Alex Deane and James Reynolds.
Deane said that the museum was being created in part to combat the risk of “fake news” if Brexit is not properly remembered.
A brochure released with the fundraising information also suggested that the museum could fill gaps in education “that tend to get skipped on the national curriculum”.
Deane 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.
“To achieve this, we need to appeal to the people whose work must be remembered.
“Our immediate target is to raise £400,000 to purchase a property, at which point the project can become a bricks and mortar entity. The next target is to raise a further £250,000 to set up the museum. This includes recruiting staff with the appropriate curatorial, archiving and administrative backgrounds."
It then aims to raise £350,000 to act as a long-term strategic reserve.
The Brexit Museum is collecting donations through its website. The charity did not say whether it had registered with the Fundraising Regulator.
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