Donating to our Collections

Colchester + Ipswich Museums always seek to develop and enrich our collections by acquiring new items.

How to Donate to Colchester Museums

If you are interested in donating to us, please make sure you follow these essential points:

+   Our Collections Working Group, which meets monthly, considers all donation enquiries. You will receive a decision within a minimum of four weeks so we can consider and process your donation offer properly.

+   We will prioritise items that have a strong connection to Colchester or Essex (e.g., they have been made, used, or owned in the City or County), that fill in gaps in our collections, or that have meaningful and/or interesting stories associated with them.

+   You must provide proof of ownership of the items you are offering for donation. When you donate, you will transfer legal ownership to the museum.

+   Please do not send unsolicited objects to us through the post or take them to any Colchester + Ipswich Museum venues. We will not accept them and are not responsible for their care, condition, or return. We will dispose of unsolicited items.

Please email our Collections + Learning team at collections@colchester.gov.uk to discuss your donation enquiry.

How to Donate to Ipswich Museums

If you are interested in donating to us, please note the following: 

+  All donation enquiries are considered by our Collections Working Group, which meets monthly. Donations supported by the team for acquisition will be submitted to Ipswich Brough Council for final approval as the legal owners of the museum collections. It will take a minimum of 12 weeks for you to receive a decision. This is so we can consider and process your donation offer properly.

+  We will prioritise items that have a strong connection to Ipswich or Suffolk (e.g. they have been made, used, or owned in the town or county), that fill in gaps in our collections or that have meaningful and/or interesting stories associated with them. For more information, please see our collections development policy.

+ You must provide proof of ownership of the items you are offering for donation. When you donate, you transfer legal ownership to the museum, and the item ceases to be your property.

+  It is no longer good practice to accept items on a ‘long-term loan’. We only take objects on loan for very specific reasons, such as exhibitions or research, and for limited periods.   

+   Please do not send unsolicited objects to us through the post or take them to any Colchester + Ipswich Museum venues. We will not accept them and are not responsible for their care, condition, or return. We will dispose of unsolicited items.

Please email our Collections + Learning team at ipswichcollections@colchester.gov.uk to discuss your donation enquiry. Please include photographs of the item you are offering.

Please note that Ipswich Museum is currently closed for a major capital redevelopment project, and our ability to respond to offers will be reduced during this time. To keep up to date with Ipswich Museum Redevelopment, please click here.

Recent Donations and Acquisitions

Loans Programme

Colchester + Ipswich Museums are keen to support loaning objects to museums across the UK and abroad.

How to Borrow from Colchester Museums

If you are interested in borrowing from us, please make sure you follow these essential points before submitting your loan request:

+   We require you to have discussed your loan informally with our Collections + Learning team before submitting your request. Not all of our collections are available to view online, and we may be able to help develop your content.

+   We need to receive your request in advance to consider and process it properly. We ask for at least six months’ notice. We require twelve months’ notice if the loan request is for more than ten items or if it is for an exhibition overseas.

+   We expect the borrower to pay for the direct costs associated with the loan (such as transport and complex packing, conservation, etc). We require our staff to act as couriers and expect to recover the direct costs of any additional travel, accommodation and subsistence. The Collections Information Officer will be happy to discuss these with you when you make your request.

Please email our Collections + Learning team at collections@colchester.gov.uk to discuss any of the above.

How to Borrow from Ipswich Museums

If you are interested in borrowing from us, please make sure you follow these important points before submitting your loan request: 

+  We require you to have discussed your loan informally with our Collections + Learning team before submitting your request. Not all of our collections are available to view online, and we may be able to help develop your content. Sometimes, it may be appropriate for you to make an appointment to view the items you are interested in borrowing from us.

+  We need to receive your request in advance to consider and process it properly. We ask for a minimum of six months’ notice and require twelve months’ notice if the loan request is for more than ten items or if it is for an exhibition overseas.

+   Ipswich Museums’ collections are owned, on behalf of the public, by Ipswich Borough Council. We must, therefore, seek their approval for any request to borrow from the collections. This should be factored into your time scales as it can take several months to reach a decision.

+  We expect the borrower to pay for the direct costs associated with the loan (such as transport and complex packing, conservation, etc). We require our staff to act as couriers and expect to recover the direct costs of any additional travel, accommodation and subsistence. The Collections Information Officer will be happy to discuss these with you when you make your request.

+   All loan requests are subject to meeting our loan agreement terms and conditions.

Please email our Collections + Learning team at ipswichcollections@colchester.gov.uk to discuss any of the above.

Please note that Ipswich Museum is currently closed for a major capital redevelopment project, and our ability to support loan requests will be reduced during this time. To keep up to date with Ipswich Museum Redevelopment, click here.