A MUSEUM has announced a 'five figure' sponsorship deal following 12 months of negotiations.

The Yorkshire Air Museum at Elvington, near York, has joined forces with Drakes MG Rover dealership of Shiptonthorpe, East Yorkshire, to drive forward the Museum's forthcoming 'Sixty Years On' events programme.

A major series of events has been planned over the next two years to mark the 60th anniversaries of the Allied campaigns in World War Two which lead to the liberation of Europe and Asia.

The sponsorship deal is the first time that such directed support has been secured by an independent, charitable museum.

Under the terms of the agreement, Drakes MG Rover will be a regular visitor and exhibitor during all the Museum's major events during 2004/5. Additionally, anyone who buys a Rover car from Drakes will receive a year's complimentary Membership of the Museum.

Ian Dewar, Operations Manager of the Yorkshire Air Museum, said: "For self-supporting museum's, sponsorship like this is of enormous value in the 'unlevel playing field' in which we compete against Government funded institutions.

"Although the Yorkshire Air Museum has been tremendously successful over the past few years in continually increasing visitor numbers and revenue, the assistance provided by sponsorship will allow us to generate even more visitors and free up vital resources for the continual maintenance and enhancement of aircraft, buildings and displays."