Plymouth museum unboxes developer donation

A Plymouth-based developer has donated £2,000 to one of the city’s most beloved cultural institutions.

Persimmon Homes Cornwall & West Devon handed over the cheque to The Box and its Foundation earlier this month as part of its Community Champions scheme, with Plymouth City Council’s leader, Cllr Tudor Evans, in attendance.

The Council-owned, not-for-profit museum, art gallery and archive has been in operation for five years after opening in 2020 on the site of Plymouth’s former Museum and Art Gallery, Central Library, and St Luke's church buildings, transforming them into a series of new galleries and exhibition spaces.

Education, learning and creativity are at the heart of its programme which currently includes a major exhibition celebrating 100 years of surrealism, a retrospective of the long and varied career of British artist Jyll Bradley, and family workshops for the summer holidays.

The Box Foundation has been in existence for the same amount of time and raises funds to support The Box's cultural and educational activities, as well as helping to ensure it remains free for everyone to visit.

Accredited five-star developer, Persimmon, currently has two sites in Plymouth, Palmerston Heights in Derriford and Saltram Meadows in Plymstock. Future homes are coming soon to Derriford with one, two, three, and four-bed homes currently available from £155,000 in Plymstock.

Persimmon’s Community Champions programme sees £700,000 go to good causes and much-valued organisations across Britain each year. Recent local recipients include Plymouth Night Patrol, Argyle Community Foundation, St Luke’s Hospice, Elburton Villa FC, and Argyle Pride.

Persimmon Homes Cornwall & West Devon Sales Director Jane Cartwright said:

“Given our significant presence in Plymouth, it only felt right to support the area through supporting the great work of The Box.

“Hundreds of families will be benefiting from the new homes we are building in Derriford and Plymstock, and we want them to have a great amenity that preserves and promotes the area’s history. So, Persimmon is proud to make this donation today.”

Hamish Anderson, Chair of The Box Foundation, added:

“Given our dedication to making sure the city’s flagship museum, art gallery and archive remains free and welcoming to as many visitors as possible, we very much welcome Persimmon’s generous donation, which gives a real boost to our activities.

“The Box is proud of being a space where visitors can enjoy historic insights from the city’s collections alongside an ambitious exhibitions and vibrant events programme – often displaying things you can’t see anywhere else in the South West. We look forward to continuing to support that good work.”

Cllr Tudor Evans, Leader of Plymouth City Council, commented:

“The Box is proving to be a huge success story for Plymouth, having welcomed over a million visitors since it opened in 2020 and becoming a central part of our city’s cultural landscape.

“We welcome donations that helps it continue its culturally rich offering for city residents and tourists, so I want to thank Persimmon for their support.”