Appeal for Support

Like everybody else, we were stopped in our tracks in March when we were forced to close due to the coronavirus pandemic. Yet, unlike many other cultural organisations that receive ongoing funding from the government, the Charles Dickens Museum is an independent charity, conceived as self-funding from the start, 95 years ago. This means we must earn every penny we need to look after Dickens’s house and the world-class collection that brings Dickens and his work to life. We rely on our visitors coming through the Doughty Street front door to ensure that the Museum continues to exist.

…I have been most perseveringly and ding-dong-doggedly at work…

When we were forced to close, it’s fair to say that we were in the middle of something of a purple patch; we had just announced the acquisition of a wealth of Dickens rarities that we are eager to share; we had installed the eagle-eyed ‘lost portrait’ of Dickens in his study following its disappearance for 170 years; and we were on the verge of opening a new exhibition that would present the image and reveal the character of the man more vividly than has ever been possible. And public interest in Dickens is as strong as ever, perhaps even more so now, as we seek solace in literature and the distraction of a great storyteller.

Like Dickens, we are unable to stay still; although the Museum is closed, his Grade I-listed home needs constant attention, and our unrivalled, precious collections need care and conservation. While we have been forced to reduce to a skeleton staff, the Museum’s work to preserve Dickens’s legacy has to continue, in spite of the fact that no money is coming in.

Don't leave off hoping, or it's of no use doing anything. Hope, hope, to the last!

We are utterly aware of the pressure on people, businesses and institutions everywhere and the circumstances under which everybody is living now; however, we are appealing to all admirers of Dickens and lovers of the Museum to consider donating now. We need to raise £30,000 each month to cover the basic costs of looking after Dickens’s house and the collection it holds. 

Your generosity will help to ensure that the door of 48 Doughty Street (and yes it’s his original door) will be able to swing open again to welcome visitors back to Dickens’s home. 

If you or someone you know is able to help, please donate via this link, or if you prefer to donate by bank transfer, please contact me directly on cindy.sughrue@dickensmuseum.com. Thank you very much, as ever, for your understanding, warmth and support. Good wishes to all of you and all of yours. We look forward to seeing you as soon as we can.

Cindy Sughrue
Director
15^th April 2020

Donate online:

You can make a donation online at any time. Donate online now by clicking here