A much-loved model car museum in Lincolnshire opened its doors for one final weekend, raising more than £8,000 for Rare Dementia Support (RDS).

On Your Marques Model Car Museum, in Mumby, was created by Jane and Chris Dring after they moved to Lincolnshire in 1993. What began as a passion for model cars grew into an extraordinary collection, with more than 1,200 models and pieces of motorsport memorabilia eventually going on display alongside a café and a four-lane Scalextric track.

The museum had been closed since 2023 following Chris’s ill health. With the property and collection now needing to be sold to help fund his care, the family decided to give visitors one last opportunity to experience the museum over the August bank holiday weekend.

The event was organised by Chris and Jane’s nephew, motoring journalist Steve Fowler, whose wife is living with frontotemporal dementia (FTD), one of the rare dementias supported by RDS.

Steve and other members of the family welcomed visitors to the museum from 29–31 August, with people travelling to see the collection, reminisce and enjoy the Scalextric racing while making donations. The response was incredible, with the weekend raising more than £8,000 for RDS through The National Brain Appeal.

For Steve, the event was about celebrating something that had been a huge part of his aunt and uncle’s lives, while supporting a cause that’s close to his heart.

Jane died unexpectedly from a brain haemorrhage in 2012. She had worked as a senior social worker while also helping to run the museum. Chris was later diagnosed with dementia following a bleed on the brain and is now living in a care home.

The museum’s final weekend brought together generations of visitors and enthusiasts to celebrate the collection one last time.

Steve said: “This was On Your Marques’ last lap and it was packed with people, laughter and Scalextric racing. We couldn’t have hoped for a better turnout.”

The family’s fundraising will help people affected by rare dementias and their families access specialist support, information and opportunities to connect with others, while also contributing to research.

RDS would like to thank Steve, his family and everyone who visited On Your Marques or donated to the appeal for helping to raise such an incredible amount.

Head of Support Services at RDS, Nikki Zimmermann, said: “We’d like to say a huge thank you to Steve for raising this money for us, it’s going to make a huge difference to the families we support.”

You can still donate at www.justgiving.com/page/on-your-marques

If you would like to fundraise for Rare Dementia Support, taking a look at our fundraising page.