A Shropshire charity is aiming to ‘bridge’ the gap in its £1m fundraising campaign with the launch of a new lottery. The monthly draw has been inspired by the world’s longest span model bridge which is on display at Enginuity in Coalbrookdale.
Fundraisers at Ironbridge Gorge Museums Trust have set a target of selling 205,000 lottery tickets, one for each brick over a 12-month period to bolster its Fund for the Future campaign. The goal of Fund for the Future is to raise £1m by a 2021 deadline to obtain match-funding in the form of a grant from the National Lottery Heritage Fund. The tickets are just over £1 each.
Adam Siviter, fundraising manager, said, “The model bridge has sparked a lot of interest and proved to be quite an attraction, giving us the idea of marrying up the number of bricks with cash to go towards Fund for the Future. By buying a ticket for the monthly draw, people will be helping us preserve our rich history and inspire engineers of the future. There are some great prizes to be had for just £1, with all those people who play our lottery knowing they’re playing a major role in helping us achieve our fundraising goal.”
All money raised from the campaign will be used to secure the heritage and buildings of Coalbrookdale for future generations. To play the lottery, or find out more about Fund for the Future, visit ironbridge.org.uk/our-story/support-us/fund-for-the-future/.
