Summer start for Jim Clark Room redevelopment

Works to redevelop and expand the Jim Clark Room in Duns will start this summer, Scottish Borders Council (SBC) has confirmed.The £1.6 million project will see the existing small exhibition space redeveloped to create a modern museum to celebrate the life and achievements of Jim Clark, a double Formula One world champion.The new museum will provide expanded exhibition space showcasing memorabilia and the trophy collection, two of Jim Clark’s race cars, new image galleries, film footage, interactive displays, technology and an education zone.The project is being taken forward by the council in partnership with Live Borders, The Jim Clark Trust and the Jim Clark Memorial Room Trust.Funding has come from the council, the Heritage Lottery Fund, Museums Galleries Scotland and The Jim Clark Trust, the latter including a grant from the Fallago Environment Fund and individual donations from around the world.The new museum will continue to be operated by Live Borders.The existing museum facility will be open until the end of May this year, including over the weekend of 7 and 8 April, when a programme of events has been prepared to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the tragic death of the double Formula One World Champion. The museum will close on 31 May, with the new museum expected to open in late spring next year.