Member Article

Symbolic ‘Golden Brick’ laid at Thackray Medical Museum

Thackray Medical Museum is celebrating the placement of a symbolic ‘golden brick’ in its new ‘Thackray in LEGO® Bricks’ model just in time for the new year.

The ‘golden brick’ is the 1,861st LEGO brick to be laid in the model, a nod to the heritage of the Museum itself, which was originally constructed as a workhouse in the year 1861, serving many different medical purposes over the years until Thackray Medical Museum opened in 1997.

The brick was laid by youngster, Charles Hardaker, who visited the Museum with his Mum at the end of December and, as a result, won a coveted LEGO and museum-themed goody bag to take home.

The competition to find the special brick was launched in November to celebrate one of the most successful October half terms on record at the Museum. Visitors were encouraged to donate £1 to the campaign and lay their very own LEGO brick in the model, becoming a lasting part of the Museum’s future, and were in with the chance of picking the very special ‘golden brick’.

The ‘Thackray in LEGO Bricks’ campaign aims to raise £150,000 to recreate the Grade II listed building in miniature out of the famous bricks. For a £1 donation, visitors can lay their very own brick and be a lasting part of the Museum’s future through their donation. All funds raised will go towards the wider redevelopment of the Museum, named ‘A Healthy Future’. This will see the Museum transformed for the 21st century, delivering more visitor engagement and educational programmes, and becoming a venue for creativity and cultural activity focussed on medicine, history and health.

Thackray Medical Museum is an independent museum located next to St. James’s hospital in Leeds, which aims to inspire and educate visitors and school children from around the UK and beyond through imaginative and exciting exhibitions, fun family workshops and a comprehensive schools programme. Open seven days a week from 10am-5pm with late-night openings on the third Thursday of every month until 8.30pm.

Nat Edwards, newly appointed CEO of Thackray Medical Museum, said:

“We’re delighted Charles was lucky enough to pick and place the special ‘golden brick’. It takes a lot of hands and a lot of work to transform a museum as much-loved as the Thackray Medical Museum – and none more special than when Charles laid that brick. I’m looking forward to welcoming him back to our grand re-opening in 2020!”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Richard Savage .