Haslemere Museum is celebrating a major milestone this year - 100 years since moving to its High Street home.

Almost 100 people attended the launch of a centenary fundraising appeal last week to help maintain the museum’s Georgian building.

The museum will also stage a programme of special events and exhibitions throughout the year to mark the anniversary.

Displays will explore the history of the museum since its founding in 1888, including the move to the High Street in August 1926 and the decades that followed.

A series of evening talks by prominent speakers and supporters is also planned. The talks are sponsored by Clement Windows Group.

The first talk will take place on Thursday, March 12, when the museum’s collections team will share insights into the institution’s history.

Tickets are available through the museum’s website, which also lists the full programme of talks.

Several centenary events have been made possible with support from The National Lottery Heritage Fund.

These include a Memorabilia Show and Tell event on Saturday, March 21, when members of the public are invited to bring objects, photographs or documents connected to their family or local history.

The local community will also contribute to exhibitions during the anniversary year.

A display of museum-related artwork created by local schoolchildren opens this week. Later, during May and June, local artists will show museum-inspired work. Anyone wishing to submit artwork can do so until April 3.

The museum operates as an independent charity and relies on fundraising and donations to maintain its collections, buildings and grounds.

Founded in 1888 by physician Sir Jonathan Hutchinson, the museum holds extensive collections of natural history, geology and human history, including more than 240,000 natural history specimens and more than 140,000 historical artefacts.

More information about the centenary events and the fundraising appeal is available on the museum’s website.