GREAT BRAK NEWS - The Great Brak River Museum might have to close its doors by March next year because of a lack of funding.

Chairman of the museum, René de Kock, says it requires an additional R50 000 in the current financial year.

De Kock says although it receives an annual grant from The Department of Cultural Affairs and Sport, it is simply not enough.

The museum also holds a "friends' account" into which all donations received at the museum, membership revenue, fundraising and proceeds from the sale of previously owned books go. 

This account is run separately from that of the museum.

"With the occurrence of additional expenditure resulting from insurance (third party liability), monthly electricity and the water account and general inflation the museum will run out of funding by March 2018," De Kock says.

He says it costs about R6 700 per month to run the museum. "This year's grant from The Department of Cultural Affairs and Sport was R50 000, which was about R50 000 short of the funds required.

"Efforts to obtain money from other sources have not been successful."

During a recent meeting, stakeholders met to discuss the dire straits in which the museum finds itself. 

De Kock says they reviewed and updated their business plan and decided to carry out more marketing and fundraising measures. 

"A decision was made to purchase a TV monitor to offer more visual information to the museum's diverse audience," he says.

Mossel Bay Advertiser readers who are interested in viewing the business plan can contact De Kock (mosselbayweb@mweb.co.za or 044 620 3338).

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