South London’s Wandsworth Museum has reopened after three years thanks to a £2 million pledge from local donors that allowed the museum to be modernised and re-housed.

Culture Secretary Jeremy Hunt and Mayor of London Boris Johnson were at the official opening on Wednesday (2 September) along with Michael and Dorothy Hintze, the pair who were behind the generous contribution.

The new museum is an independent trust which was formed following the donation from the Hintze Family Charitable Foundation and the trust will run the museum for the 10,000 artefacts that the council has amassed.

Government funding for Wandsworth Museum was cut in early 2007 and council leader Edward Lister said the re-opening would not have been possible "without the kind generosity of the Hintze family".

As part of the project, the museum revamp included: a learning centre to support the museum's educational services; a dedicated research area for access to the museum library and archives; permanent and temporary galleries, a café and retail areas.

At the opening Mayor Johnson said Wandsworth Museum was a "fabulous resource" for the local community and a "wonderful addition to London's cultural landscape".

He added: "In these challenging economic times, the generosity of Michael Hintze also shows the important role that private philanthropy can have in helping to sustain local as well as national arts and cultural organisations - this is a superb benchmark and I urge the business community to follow his lead."

The museum will open its doors to the public on Friday (3 September).

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