Leaving a Gift in your Will
You can make a lasting impact on the Museum by remembering us in your Will. As a registered charity (no. 295164) any gift, large or small, is a huge help to the Museum and will enable you to create a lasting memorial for yourself.
If you have a passion for a specific aspect of the Museum’s work such as the learning, exhibitions or collections, then these areas would greatly benefit from your gift.
Unrestricted gifts in wills are also very valuable as they allow us to use funds where they are most needed.
Your generous gift will ensure our continued success in caring for Richmond’s heritage and telling its story.
Please consult a solicitor when writing your will to ensure that your wishes are accurately reflected. If you would like to talk to us about leaving a gift in your will please contact the Curator, on 020 8332 1141 or by email at curator@museumofrichmond.com
If you are planning on remembering us in your will please let us know so that we can thank you and keep you, or a loved one, informed and involved in the Museum.
Molli Cloake
Molli, the wife of the Museum’s founder, John Cloake, left a legacy to the Museum in 2008. This was used to create an AV (audio-visual) installation about residential architecture in Richmond.
The AV is voiced by Bamber Gascoigne, (original host of University Challenge and one of the Museum’s patrons before his death) and is accompanied by beautiful professional photographs of local buildings. It is located within the Museum’s architecture section. Visitors are able to take a few minutes to sit and learn more about the history of Richmond’s residential architecture.
This subject for Molli’s legacy seems particularly appropriate given that she and John owned and restored important historic houses in Richmond.
The AV is frequently highlighted by visitors as one of their favourite parts of their visit.
William Reid
William’s legacy helped to fund the WWI AV unit.
This contains films of local people’s reminiscences and oral histories relating to the War, giving those people an opportunity to share their stories with others.
You can often see families of all ages crowding around the AV, quietly absorbed in the stories that are being shared.
Vivien Van Straubenzee
Vivien was a long-term supporter and Friend of the Museum. Her generous legacy enabled the Museum to develop the Museum’s handling collection to support Pre History Workshops for schools and families and create a Pre History ‘Discovery Box’ for local schools and groups to hire.
These resources help the Museum support the needs of local schools and generate income for the Museum, which will help to secure its future.
The Trustees carefully chose this project to be supported by Vivien’s legacy as it was known she believed passionately in the importance of education. She was a great supporter of the Museum’s Learning Programme, regularly coming into the Museum to share her wartime experiences with local school children visiting the Museum for the World War Two workshop.