Museum over the moon with sponsorship

Award-winning Midlands law firm FBC Manby Bowdler has thrown its weight behind a special Shropshire fundraising event to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Moon landings.

The law firm – which has offices across the county and the West Midlands – is sponsoring the Ironbridge Gorge Museum Trust’s fundraising dinner, Ironbridge by Moonlight on October 24.

Guests at the gala event at Enginuity in Coalbrookdale will dine under the shadow of a spectacular work of art inspired by the Moon whilst raising cash for the trust’s vital conservation work and its Fund for the Future campaign.

FBC Manby Bowdler sales director Neil Lloyd said the company, the trust’s first gold patron,  was delighted to be the headline sponsor for the event.

“As a company which prides itself on its stellar service we couldn’t resist the chance to be involved in an event which is truly out of this world,” said Neil.

“Ironbridge by Moonlight will feature a champagne reception, three-course dinner, raffle, live auction and guest speaker from the Lunar Society – all under the shadow of the magnificent Museum of the Moon exhibition which is currently touring the world.

“The display – a six metre wide Moon featuring detailed NASA imagery of the lunar surface – will make a stunning backdrop to a night which celebrates one of the greatest of all human achievements, the first lunar landing by Neil Armstrong and the Apollo crew on July 16 1969.

“It’s particularly fitting that by celebrating our greatest feat of technology we will raise  funds to preserve the birthplace of the Industrial Revolution and the Fund for the Future campaign to raise £1million by 2021.”

Adam Siviter, fundraising manager of the Ironbridge Gorge Museum Trust, said: “We are extremely thrilled that FBC Manby Bowdler are sponsoring our Ironbridge by Moonlight fundraising dinner at Enginuity.

“The evening will really help to support our ongoing heritage conservation and looking after the vast industrial heritage within our collections portfolio, which includes 36 listed buildings and ancient monuments and our 10 museums, which each add significantly to the tourism offer we have here in Shropshire and the West Midlands."

Pictured: Neil Lloyd from FBC Manby Bowdler and Karen Davies programme manager, The West Midlands Museum Development Programme