We greatly appreciate the offers of material received from our audiences to help us continue to share the story of the RAF.
We understand that many objects have a deep personal meaning and significance to families or communities. The Museum is honoured to be given the opportunity to care for these items.
We value every RAF story, but we carefully manage the material we bring into the collection to ensure we are delivering the best possible public outcomes for our shared heritage.
The material offered needs to closely align with our Collections Development Strategy, Collections Development Policy and collecting priorities.
We try not to duplicate material already held by the Museum and our focus remains on strengthening gaps in our collection.
With our ongoing commitment to the Inspiring Everyone: RAF Museum Midland Development Programme (Midlands Development Programme – RAF Museum) consideration is also being given to the storage requirements of artefacts and ensuring the necessary resources are available to care for the material being offered.
You can find out more about the Museum’s approach to collecting in our relevant policies and our FAQs.
If you would like to make an offer to donate an artefact, please email the Collections and Research team at Collections.Donations@rafmuseum.org.
Donation process
Due to our ongoing commitment to the Inspiring Everyone: RAF Museum Midlands Development Programme, we will not be able to respond individually to every offer being made. If you do not hear from the Collections and Research team within six weeks, please assume that your offer falls outside of our current collecting approach and has been declined with our thanks for thinking of the RAF Museum.
If a member of our team gets in touch, you will be asked to provide further details including images and information concerning how you have ownership of the material as well as further questions to help the curators consider your offer.
Please note that the acquisition process can take at least six months.
You will be kept updated during the process and informed of the outcome from these discussions. If successful, the curators will be in touch to make arrangements for the material to come to the Museum.
Unsolicited material
The Museum does not accept unsolicited items. We are unable to accept items which have been sent or brought to the Museum without prior written agreement with a curator. The Museum reserves the right to dispose of unsolicited items of this kind.
Thank you for your continued support and generosity.