09-12-2010, 11:14 AM
Quote:British Museum secures 25 million pound donation
UK ยป
LONDON | Sun Sep 12, 2010 11:07am BST
(Reuters) - The British Museum has received a 25-million-pound donation from the former head of the J Sainsbury supermarket chain to help pay for a new extension, a museum spokeswoman said on Sunday.
The gift from John Sainsbury, 82, is one of the biggest known single donations to the arts in Britain.
It will go towards a new gallery for temporary exhibitions, a conservation centre and new storage space at what is Britain's most popular cultural attraction.
"It's incredibly generous," the spokeswoman said. "It's not a donation to benefit us (just) next year, it's for future generations to safeguard the collection for the nation."
The donation comes against a backdrop of big public spending cuts. Funding for museums and galleries is expected to be trimmed by 25 percent in a spending review to be outlined on October 20 by the finance minister, George Osborne.
The government will contribute 22.5 million pounds to the reported 125-million-pound cost of the extension. Other private donors will help pay the bill.
If anyone is reading this from the British Museum, can I suggest that a small part of of this be diverted to buy the helmet?