Black Country Living Museum aiming to raise £10,000 in 72 hours

The popular open air museum is calling on the public to help reach the total.

Bosses have also teamed up with TheBigGive.org.uk which will match every donation pound for pound.

Revealing their plans a spokesman for the museum said: "Coal mines and collieries were the heart and soul of the region.

"They fuelled the industrial development of the Black Country and helping to create the world we live in today.

"We want our visitors to be able to experience this story for themselves and to do this we're going to revitalise our Racecourse Colliery."

In order to complete the work the museum staff need to raise £205,000.

So far £80,000 has been collected with donations from sources such as Arts Council England and the Owen Family Trust.

Between November 29, and December 2, the museum will be taking part in The Big Give's #ChristmasChallenge with the aim of raising £10,000 in 72 hours.

Once all the money is secured and the project is finished visitors will be able to see Charlie, the museum's pit pony, pull a tub along the restored tramway. Museum chiefs fear the tub tramway, along with other heritage items at the Dudley attraction, will further deteriorate and could be lost forever unless investment is made.

Furthermore as the equipment on the tramway is currently not operated the historically significant area is often overlooked by visitors.

The museum also plans to install a pit cage to show how miners were lowered into the shaft, with demonstrations at a new Blacksmith's Forge.

Museum bosses want to enhance visitors' knowledge, enjoyment and understanding of the area's rich industrial past.

They aim to add a host of new characters to talk about the region's history and provide stories of real people who once worked at the colliery.

A video about the project is available to view on The Big Give website.

People can make donations from noon on November 29 to the appeal.

Visit www.bclm.co.uk for details.