County museum needs your vote

Shropshire's Blists Hill Victorian Town is leading the race to scoop a £100,000 prize to invest in its charitable work - but first it needs the votes of the public.

The Telford attraction has been long-listed in the Art Fund Prize 2010 for Museums and Galleries.

Its rivals include the Natural History Museum and Hampton Court, but so far Blists Hill has over 35 per cent of the vote, putting it ahead of its nearest rival, The Leach Pottery in Cornwall, which is on 22 per cent.

A panel of seven judges, including broadcast journalist Kirsty Young, will visit the 11 attractions in the final.

They will look at all aspects of the museum, such as its green credentials, its work with the community, the activities it offers educational groups and the overall quality and integrity of its exhibits.

But in addition to the judges' vote, the museum also needs to win the public vote - and this is where the museum's directors are appealing for help.

Paul Gossage, the museum's director of marketing, said: "We have to prove that we have strong support from our visitors and friends if we are to progress and ultimately win the £100,000 prize on offer.

"History tells us that to win the important public vote we will need over 300,000 votes."

People across the country have been busy voting for their favourite museum by logging on to www.artfundprize.org.uk and voting for one of the finalists.

The final shortlist of four will be announced by the end of May.

Steve Miller, chief executive of the Ironbridge Gorge Museums, said: "We have been touched by the level of support that the museum has seen from people far and near, promising to vote for us and pass the website address on to friends, family and colleagues.

"It is down to the support of all the fans of Blists Hill that we have been able to currently open up a slim lead. However, this is a marathon rather than a sprint and there is a long way to go before voting closes, so it is really important we maintain the momentum and encourage even more people to log on to the website and vote for Blists Hill.

"If we can make it to the shortlist, it will be a huge boost for not only the Ironbridge Gorge Museums, but also for the World Heritage Site and the rest of Shropshire."

• Cast your vote here