Organisers of the campaign to bring the hoard home to Herefordshire want to thank residents who dug deep into their pockets and purses to donate.
Members of the public helped get the campaign off to a flying start by collectively tossing £1,000 into buckets at an event held at Hereford Rowing Club on Sunday 10 April.
Added to sums already donated, this brings the public fundraising total up to £7,700, or 11 per cent of the £70,000 target.
With much of the action happening outside the rowing club, the team who put the free family event together were grateful for a lack of April showers. What they got instead were torrents of visitors pouring onsite to learn more about life from 1,100 years ago.
Viking-themed activities included coin making; experts gave talks and answered questions on Viking life; and re-enactors from Brumvik and the Black Crow Vikings wielded axes, shields and spears to give onlookers a flavour of Britain’s pugnacious past.
Judy Stevenson, team leader at Herefordshire museum services, says:
“What a day! A big thank you to everyone who came along to our event at Hereford Rowing Club last weekend. We were so lucky with the weather. Thanks also to those who plundered their own pockets to give freely to help bring home the Herefordshire Hoard. We’re off to a great start. We have a trove of other events and activities in the pipeline. Please watch this space and come along to future events.”