RAMSHACKLE outbuildings will be replaced by educational facilities at an award-winning attraction if a £750,000 lottery bid is successful.

The Priest's House Museum in Wimborne town centre desperately needs more room so that its 30,000 objects can be accessed more easily.

At the moment many are stored in rooms full to bursting point and the public never sees them.

An open learning annexe is planned in place of several old sheds and stores in the garden.

If successful, the bid of up to £750,000 would also be used to provide disabled access and upgrade the loos and tea room.

But the first step is to bid for a Heritage Lottery development grant for a feasibility study.

Project manager Kerry Sawyer said: "That would show the project has been fully researched and is a valid project. It will be an activity room for object-based learning, just using the museum in the broadest, most imaginative way.

"And we're desperately looking for a nice name for it - there's a bottle of champagne for the person who comes up with the best one."

It is intended that the project will involve the Friends of the museum, its trustees, interested groups like local history societies, schools, adult education and the community in general.

Curator Emma Ayling said planning permission would have to be sought.

"The museum's a listed building so we can't make modifications.

"Anyone with mobility problems is really excluded.

"We would like to have a new building that basically will house our collections and make it more accessible.

"There could be dayschools based on important exhibits like our TB skeleton or the very rare Roman pump.

"There's Iron Age pottery and a unique collection of Victorian Valentines.

"It's about getting the community involved in their local museum - we will need community support.

"It's an excellent museum and I want to see it go forward and be at the heart of East Dorset.

"But it's a long-term plan and we're at the very, very early stages," she added.

Could you win a bottle of champagne with a snappy title for the open learning annexe? Call The Priest's House Museum on 01202 882533.