British motorcycle fans, the National Motorcycle Museum near Solihull in the West Midlands, England, needs your help. While we’re all going through the same 2020 filled with unprecedented challenges, some businesses are particularly hard-hit. Due to closures and events cancellations, cultural institutions such as museums are struggling—even more than usual—just to survive.
For income, the National Motorcycle Museum relies solely on visitors, fundraising, and customers it might draw in with its vintage bike restoration services. It also has a restaurant and coffee kart, in addition to a conference center and hotel complex. Everything has been closed down as we’ve all dealt with the ongoing coronavirus crisis, which means that all the NMM’s regular means of sustaining itself have been cut off.
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That’s why the NMM is launching a special raffle on July 17, 2020, to address its COVID-19-induced state of need. For those unfamiliar, the NMM does frequently raffle off some beautiful vintage British bikes, and this time will be no exception to that rule. Top prize, according to MCN, will be a new-old stock 1977 Norton Commando 850. Second-place gets a 1948 Ariel NG 350, and third gets a 1959 BSA B31. The Ariel and BSA bikes in this raffle have both been restored by the NMM.
Raffle tickets will cost just £6, or US $7.52 apiece, and winners will be drawn on December 21, 2020. Through this raffle and any separate donations that people wish to make, the NMM aims to raise at least the £500,000 it needs in any given year if it wants to break even. Should this effort not go according to plan, it may have to start selling some of its surplus bikes, which is clearly an option of last resort. If you want to simply make a donation, you can do that at any time via their donations page.
While the museum may be in the UK, British motorcycle fans do, of course, exist all over the world. Unfortunately, raffle tickets cannot be purchased by non-UK residents or Northern Ireland residents because of current UK Gambling Commission legislation. If you’re not in the UK, and you want to support this museum, you can still donate.
Finally, if you can’t wait to get in on some sweet British motorcycle raffle action, the NMM’s April 2020 through October 2020 Summer Raffle is currently going on. First prize here is a new-old stock 1977 Triumph T140J Silver Jubilee 750cc Bonneville, second is a Sealey retro-style combination tool chest, and third is a luxury hotel break and dinner for two at the Marco Pierre White Steakhouse in the Manor Hotel in Meriden.
Sources: National Motorcycle Museum, MCN