Fund-raising for redisplay and reinterpretation of Worthing's archaeological collection

Reimagining Worthing Museum – a new home for old treasures seeks to engage people from across the south-east with the conservation and curation work of the Museum, asking them to donate at levels which correspond to key artefacts within the collection. It also pays tribute to the contribution Worthing-area people have made toward the collection over many decades. The campaign will run until late August/September with a goal of £35,000.

Worthing Museum is currently closed while it becomes linked to a pioneering heat network that will decarbonise emissions from the town’s public buildings. The work presents WTM with an opportunity to reimagine the presentation and interpretation of the museum’s significant archaeological collection. Ambitions for the project will focus on new display cases, refreshed wayfinding, interactive technology and bespoke lighting to bring exhibits and their stories to life for generations to come.

Worthing Museum’s archaeological collection comprises more than 50,000 artefacts, ranging from Neolithic flint axes to Bronze Age hoards, material from Roman villas, and grave goods from the Anglo-Saxon cemetery at Highdown. Those wishing to donate to the campaign can sponsor artefacts including a woolly mammoth tusk found by fishermen off Worthing’s coast in 1920 and one of the many flints featured in curriculum learning as part of the Museum’s educational programmes with neighbouring primary schools.

Donations can be made at: wtm.uk/reimagining

James Sainsbury, Worthing Museum’s archaeological curator, said: “At WTM, we have an incredibly rich archaeological collection that unlocks thousands of hidden stories behind the landscapes and people who inhabited the south coast over millennia. The new archaeological gallery will offer innovative ways to experience and engage with local history and we can’t wait to welcome visitors back once the museum reopens in 2026.”

Amanda O’Reilly, WTM’s creative director and CEO, said: “We’re incredibly excited about revealing the secrets of these precious treasures as vividly as modern technology and the skills of our expert curators can achieve, placing the local community at the heart of custodianship with this fundraising campaign.”