A New Heritage Charity, dedicated to safeguarding & preserving Mertons unique sporting history
WiSH - A brief introduction
2002 Started to develop as individual collectors of Wimbledon FC Historical items, responding to memorabilia, trophies & many other club heritage items that had started to appear for sale on the open market
2010 Started to communicate & work together forming the seeds of WiSH
2012 In Partnership with TVF Created “On Common Ground” Film -& book, premiered at Wimbledon Odeon, detailing Wimbledons Unique Sporting History & Legacy
2013 - Core group started working together on clubs history & heritage, recruiting other collectors
2015, Became involved & participating with Merton Council Heritage.
2016-2018 WiSH members spent 2 years visiting other clubs museums, meeting with their historians, exploring their structures & gaining valuable insight into best practice, funding streams what works well.WiSH then widened this remit to visit other sports museums & more general local museums in order to garner as much information as we could in prearation for WiSH progression.
2018 - WiSH proposals & partnership offer taken to DTB & FCB asking for a museum/heritage stadium & the donation of the vast amount of club history to a Charity set up with the core aim of specificallysafeguarding, preserving, sharing & ensuring our history returns to Plough Lane for future generations
2019 - Purchased ownership & copyright of the entire AFC Wimbledon Video History from 2002-2017 saving it from being destroyed.
2019 Progression, constituted as independent Charity, joined UK Museum Association, registered with Heritage Lottery fund, partnered with & active members of Merton Heritage with the aim of creating both a physical & virtual online museum, with the intention of becoming interactive with Dons fans groups around the world.
April 2019 Presented at DTB SGM
August/September 2019 working with Heritage Specialists & MDC Heritage to create designs & costings for both physical & online positions. Proposed a Proposed Service Level Agreement to DTB.
Jan 2020 we had our first year review, the board & members voted unanimously to remain a independent charity fully open to working in partnership with all sporting & history organisations across Wimbledon & the wider Merton District.
Further request sent to DTB asking for partnership & a shared agreement going forward with a view to funding, sustaining, operating a museum at new stadium
Full Charity Commision registration submitted which will alter Charity Status from Constituted Charity operating under £5k to full public disclosure.
Feb 2020 Website updated & work towards creation of a Virtual Museum commences.
WiSH are fully committed to seeing the vast collection owned by individuals brought together within the Merton area for all fans to see & appreciate the complex & unique 130 year history Wimbledon football has, preserving it for future generations of Dons.
2021 - The Greatest Story is launched, work commences on 8 projects, dedicated TGS room in stadium, heritage trails within the stadium & across Merton & Wandsworth, Wombles From the Lane memory capture project, timeline in the West stand concourse & many other developments in planning.