Local community groups asked to bid for collection from SSE former Museum of Electricity in Christchurch

HISTORICAL items from the old Museum of Electricity in Christchurch are being offered to the community.

Major building work is due to take place at the former museum at the Old Power Station, Bargates, and SSE wants to rehome the collection, which is still housed there despite its closure in 2012.

Items in the collection were donated by former employees and collated when the Southern Electricity Board, later Southern Electric, set up the Museum of Electricity in Christchurch in 1983.

The core of the collection are items which show the development of the power industry within England, the engineering challenges of connecting the nation and maintaining energy supplies.

Artefacts include working models which show the principles of harnessing electricity and would, says SSE, be “useful educational tools for demonstrating the key principles and milestones in the story of electricity”.

SSE is keen the collection remains in the local area and are appealing for interested organisations in Dorset to get in touch.

A bidding period will run until 2nd December, and there will be collection viewing days on 18th October between 3pm to 7pm and 29th October 9am to 2pm,

Bids will be judged on whether they meet several criteria, including that the collection will be owned by a “properly constituted entity with a demonstrable governance structure”.

It will also have to demonstrate that the collection “will be used for the benefit of the local community” and that it will remain within Dorset when it isn’t on loan.

The organisation will also have to be “financially self-sustaining”.

A list of available objects is available on request by emailing tim@counterculturellp.com.

The details of the proposed host organisation including location, legal structure and activities should be included in bids along with a description of how the collection will be used.

Details of how the collection will be used to benefit the local community and how the work of the organisation will be funded should also be included.