A Telford-based manufacturer that is passionate about developing the engineers of the future has become the first company to back a new fundraising drive by the Ironbridge Gorge Museum Trust.
iconsys, a leading UK power, control and automation solutions provider and system integrator, is backing the ‘Gift a Day’ initiative to sponsor a week of running costs at Enginuity museum for the first week of this year’s school holidays.
The gift is part of the company’s commitment to growing its own talent and getting more young people interested in a career in industry and will be followed by the possibility of holding a STEM (Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics) event later in 2024.
It has even sent three of its technical partners to the museum to help curators repair and maintain some of its most popular interactives.
(l-r) Nick Darrall (MD of iconsys) with and Nick Ralls, CEO of the Ironbridge Gorge Museum Trust
“Supporting the Ironbridge Gorge Museum Trust in the launch of its new Gift a Day initiative gives us a great sense of pride,” commented Nick Darrall, Managing Director at iconsys.
“We are so lucky to have these wonderful museums on our doorstep. I have visited them many times with my own son, and he’s always excited and inspired by his visits.”
He continued: “It’s great to support Enginuity in particular, as its philosophy fits closely with our own in developing young and emerging talent, being the engineers of the future.
“We encourage other organisations to get onboard with the Gift a Day initiative, which will help the charity raise vital funds to run its museums. Providing this educational and fun space for the budding engineers of the future is seen by iconsys as both a business and social imperative”.
With the Gift a Day initiative the Ironbridge Gorge Museum Trust invites companies, community groups or individuals to choose a special day of the year on which they will sponsor the Trust’s education and conservation activities, covering its costs for that entire day. They can also choose to fund a specific museum for a day or week, as iconsys has chosen to.
Zoe Baxter, Major Donor and Partnerships Executive at the Ironbridge Gorge Museum Trust, said: “We are incredibly grateful to Nick and his team for their generous support of our Gift a Day initiative and the time and expertise of their engineers.
“Their support will help us to continue delivering enriching educational opportunities and hands-on activities at Enginuity and demonstrates the vital role local businesses play in keeping our museums fun and engaging for visitors.”
All supporters make a unique contribution to the history of the Ironbridge Gorge, helping the Trust to conserve the Gorge’s heritage and inspire future generations.
Each day it costs the Trust, an education and heritage conservation charity, £15,000 to run its ten museums. This includes conserving and restoring its collections and delivering its education and learning programmes, from maintaining the ambient temperature required to preserve a precious item in its collections to delivering hands-on learning educational workshops to inspire children.
The Trust collection consists of 400,000 objects, and the entire collection has been Designated by Arts Council England in recognition of its National Importance. In 2023 337,000 visitors attended the museums and over 26,000 children and teachers came on an education visit.
Companies or individuals that wish to know more about the initiative can go to the Trust’s website: www.ironbridge.org.uk/about-us/support-us/gift-a-day/.
