FRIENDS OF THE CANAL MUSEUM

The Arts Council of England have announced the Canal Museum will receive £56,000 funding from its Renaissance Strategic Support Fund towards the complete replacement of the time expired gallery lighting. New state of the art LED lighting with automatic zoned
switching will reduce the Museum's carbon footprint, lower energy consumption and operating costs, and improve the display of artefacts. Arts Council Manager Brian Ashley said in an interview on Radio Northampton's John Griff Show: "It may seem a bit boring, it may seem a bit mundane, but for us it's about helping the Canal Museum to run things in a more efficient way and reduce costs in the longer run. As well as being more sustainable in the future, it will make the collections immediately visible to more people."

With additional match funding from the Canal Museum and The Friends of The Canal Museum, the
total project value is £61,000 and includes sums to allow the engagement of a specialised lighting
designer and energy efficiency consultant. The work is likely to be carried out during the winter months when the Museum is operating restricted opening hours so as to reduce disruption for visitors to a minimum. The application and case for funding to the Arts Council was prepared by a Friends volunteer on behalf of the Canal Museum.

Friends Chairman David Blagrove said: "We are absolutely delighted that the Arts Council have decided to support this important project in the Museum's 50th Anniversary year. It is very fitting that the Museum will start its next half century of service to the community equipped with the latest technological advances in lighting putting it on a more sustainable footing."