'Reddam's Past Times' - Student-led Museum

Hello,

WE NEED YOUR SUPPORT!

My name is Ben Wheeler, a student at Reddam House Berkshire in England. I am delighted to be leading a student-based project to create a museum depicting the magnificent 1,000 year history of the Bearwood estate, which Reddam House now calls home.

The museum will help preserve and promote the estate's mesmerising history, which over the centuries has varied from Royal hunting grounds, a stately home for the Walter family (The Times newspaper proprietors) and even a Merchant Seaman's Orphanage Asylum, amongst many other fascinating things. The project will trace the grand opulence of the Walter era through to the unfortunate tragedies of young orphans, whilst capturing everything in-between. It will enrich and help to share this important and amazing wealth of history with past, current and future students, as well as, importantly, with the local and international communities.

The museum will be run independently by students who have a passion for Bearwood’s history, and they will plan and organise regular exhibitions depicting themes and events experienced over the years. There is such a vast array of topics to be covered, for example, from the building of John Walter III's Victorian mansion, the use of the estate as a Canadian convalescence hospital during WW1, and even the centuries-long battle between the aristocracy and poorer classes over the rights to hunt deer and fell trees on the estate. On a more contemporary note, students can also delve into discovering the conglomeration of TV shows and movies that have been filmed at the Bearwood estate, which links our history with the likes of Michelle Dockery, Roger Allam, Toby Stephens and even Danny Dyer.

Support from the wider community is key to preserving this history for the benefit of everyone, both now and in the future.

As this is a student-led and self-funded initiative, we are hoping for your kind support and donations to help us along the way! We need funds to purchase display infrastructure and materials, such as cabinets and exhibition panels, alongside monetary assistance to provide technology to display the artefacts in a suitable environment, to facilitate the restoration of items which have seen better days, and so on.

Funding is required AS SOON AS POSSIBLE, because the initial opening exhibition is planned for September 2019. Timing is therefore of the essence, and to ensure we are ready for our grand opening we need to order our display cabinets now. It will certainly be a busy summer holiday as we work hard to plan and design the historical themes of the opening exhibition.

Without your generous donations the museum simply will not happen and could not be sustained, and therefore your contributions are critical in ensuring that the encapsulating history of the estate is not lost, but preserved for years to come. Every single penny received will be invested in the museum completely independent to the school, whether this be assisting with the displays, preserving the artefacts or investing in technology. 

Crucially, through your kind gifts, you too can be part of keeping the spirit of the Bearwood estate alive for students and wider communities for years to come...

As a token of our appreciation, if you pledge £50 or more towards the museum, you will receive a certificate, be featured as a significant donor and immortalised in all exhibitions put on by the students.

Thank you enormously in advance,

Ben and everyone at 'Reddam's Past Times' Museum