The National Motorcycle Museum has launched an urgent appeal because of concerns about how and when the museum will be able to reopen.
The National Motorcycle Museum receives no external funding, meaning the museum relies on visitors to the museum and income from conference business and two sister hotels.
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Hospitality and leisure has been one of the worst hit sectors because of the Covid-19 pandemic, and the a statement on the museum’s social media page acknowledges that they “don’t know when the National Conference Centre, Manor Hotel Meriden, and Windmill Village Hotel Coventry will be able to reopen fully, let alone trade profitably.”
James Hewing, Museum Director, said: “Without the income from our three sister businesses, there is little likelihood of the museum opening, and then remaining open, until they return to normal trading. The museum itself requires a surplus of around £500,000 per year just to break even. Without making this appeal, we may have to sell some of our reserve collection of bikes, the last thing we would ever have wanted to do. Unfortunately, all of our business activities are in one of the hardest hit sectors, and we simply don’t know how long they will take to recover.”
Emergency raffle
The National Motorcycle Museum is now launching an appeal, which gives people the chance to help raise the £500,000 required in two different ways.
“From today (July 17) we will be launching a special Covid-19 appeal raffle with the chance to win the following fantastic classic motorcycles, one new/old stock and two which have been restored in the museum’s workshops.”
The raffle are extra to the normal summer & winter raffles which will operate as usual.
What’s up for grabs?
1st Prize – 1977 Norton Commando 850cc Motorcycle (brand new/old stock).
2nd Prize – 1948 Ariel NG 350cc Motorcycle (restored by the museum).
3rd Prize – 1959 BSA B31 350cc Motorcycle (restored by the museum).
The draw will take place on Monday 21 December 2020 at the National Motorcycle Museum.
Tickets cost £6.00 each & will be distributed during August and September 2020 via subscription copies of the specialist press. Tickets are also available online from www.thenmm.co.uk.
How else can you help?
You can donate to the National Motorcycle Museum’s reopening appeal at www.thenmm.co.uk
On the website, there will a link directly to the appeal fund donation page. The museum assures that any amount donated will be used to help to remain open until normal trading resumes. You will be helping to preserve as much of our reserve collection as possible.
