Volunteers at Gainsborough’s House museum and gallery are urging people to help them make the most of a fundraising opportunity that could boost a new education programme at the Sudbury-based facility.

Gainsborough’s House has been chosen by a charity champion to take part in the Big Give Christmas Challenge 2014.

The annual event enables participants to potentially match fund donations made by supporters on the Big Give website. The challenge will run over the next three days, starting at 10am today. On each day, the Big Give charity will make a limited sum of money available to double donations pledged online by each competing organisations’s supporters.

However, the money is available on a first come, first served basis and Gainsborough’s House will be competing with nearly 9,000 other national charities live online, so it is imperative to get donations in as early as possible after 10am. Last year, Gainsborough’s House secured £12,000 through the scheme and is aiming for £20,000 this year.

The education programme will offer workshops to inspire budding artists to experiment and develop their skills.

The house already runs Museum Club – a weekly project that gives adults with learning difficulties a chance to engage with art in a practical way – and on Saturdays an Artsmart project offers three art classes for children and young people.

Gainsborough’s House was recently awarded the prize for Community Education and Engagement at the 2014 Suffolk Museum of the Year Awards and is very keen to take its education programme a step further.

Director of Gainsborough’s House, Mark Bills said: “As well as encouraging a wider audience to visit Gainsborough’s House, we want to improve our series of activities and events for children and vulnerable adults who will learn to appreciate art and art history as well as developing knowledge and skills in arts and creativity.

“Please help us by encouraging as many friends and neighbours to take part in the Big Give. It is very important that donations are made as close to 10am as possible, as we competing with other charities.”

Donations to the Big Give Christmas Challenge can only be made on the three days by going to: https://secure.thebiggive.org.uk/project/new_generation_gainsborough