25 April 2013

Royal Bank of Scotland announces support for V&A at Dundee

Photocall: 11.45am, Thursday April 25th
Meet at Discovery Point for photo at site of V&A at Dundee
Sandy Richardson and Ken Barclay will both be available

The Royal Bank of Scotland has announced it is supporting the capital fundraising campaign for V&A at Dundee with a donation of £50,000.

The donation was announced by RBS in Dundee today, Thursday April 25th.

Sandy Richardson, Development Director of V&A at Dundee, said, "I am absolutely delighted that RBS is offering this support to V&A at Dundee. We have an ambitious project that will bring benefits not just to Dundee but to the whole of Scotland and it is extremely encouraging to see a major Scottish institution such as RBS getting directly involved."

Ken Barclay, Head of RBS' Corporate Banking Division in Scotland and Chair of the RBS Scotland Board, said, "V&A at Dundee is an extremely exciting and ambitious project and we're delighted to be supporting it. RBS is part of communities all across Scotland and we want to play a role in supporting those communities, as well as Scotland as a whole. We wish the people of Dundee all the best in this exciting adventure."

The capital fundraising campaign for V&A at Dundee is looking to raise £45million to deliver a stunning building designed by the architect Kengo Kuma. It will house the first ever purpose-built design museum to be constructed in the UK outside London.

The Scottish Government has already committed £15million in capital funding, and the Heritage Lottery Fund has given V&A at Dundee a first-phase pass on a bid of up to £9.2million. Further bids to other public bodies are on track and work will continue in developing discussions with prospective donors.

Donations have also been received from individuals, trusts and foundations. Among those who have donated are W S Philips Charitable Trust, Leng Charitable Trust, Misses Barrie Charitable Trust, Binks Trust, and Dunard Fund. Some donors have chosen to remain anonymous.

"We are extremely grateful to those individuals and organisations who are supporting the project. It is a wonderful show of confidence in V&A at Dundee," said Mr Richardson.

Notes to Editors

V&A at Dundee will be the first ever purpose-built design museum to be constructed in the UK outside London. It will provide more than 1700 square metres of gallery space and will be one of the largest dedicated exhibition spaces in Scotland. The galleries will host world-class exhibitions of international design, alongside displays devoted to outstanding Scottish design - historical, contemporary and of the future.

V&A at Dundee is being delivered by Design Dundee Ltd, a ground-breaking partnership between the Victoria and Albert Museum - the world's greatest museum of art and design - and Dundee City Council, the Universities of Dundee and Abertay Dundee, and Scottish Enterprise. The new building is being designed by a team led by architects Kengo Kuma & Associates.

The Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) awarded it a first round pass of up to £9.2m, including £200,000 development funding, in May 2012. The Scottish Government has committed £15m in capital towards the project's £45million budget. www.vandaatdundee.com.

For media enquiries contact:
Roddy Isles
Hed, Press Office
University of Dundee
Nethergate, Dundee, DD1 4HN
TEL: 01382 384910
E-MAIL: r.isles@dundee.ac.uk
MOBILE: 07800 581902