Since Culture Perth and Kinross became a charitable trust 10 years ago, the National Fund for Acquisitions (NFA) have been extremely generous with their time and support and have provided almost £73,600 in funding towards over 130 objects for the permanent collection.

Administered by the National Museum of Scotland on behalf of the Scottish Government, the NFA has an annual budget of up to £150,000 and supports over 120 organisations each year. It usually provides 50% of the acquisition’s price with us applying to others such as the Art Fund, or to the Friends of the Nations Libraries to make up the rest. However, the NFA have made numerous awards to us of 100% over the last few years in recognition of the reducing budgets in the sector.

The fund has been crucial to us in the development of the collections and has enabled us to be more proactive in our approach to collecting. Objects ranging from an 18^th Century Jacobite wine glass to renowned contemporary artist, Calum Colvin’s, triptych, Lochaber No More, 2015, have been purchased and are on display inspiring and delighting visitors.

The NFA also regularly supports us with the costs of items offered through the Treasure Trove Scheme, where significant finds are claimed by the throne and distributed to relevant museums. This is how the Methven coin hoard was recently acquired, and many other archaeological items such as a fragment of a Pictish stone from St Madoes, and a late medieval gilt crucifix from Bankfoot.