A campaign to raise at least £2m to help protect Birmingham’s museums has been launched with the leaders saying they were “at a critical crossroads.”

The scheme, titled Your Museums, Your Move appeals to residents and businesses to donate to the Birmingham Museums Trust, a charity which looks after sites across the city.

It is hoped the fundraising appeal, which is set to run over a course of two years, will help protect Birmingham’s cultural heritage.

It comes as Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery celebrated its 140th anniversary on Friday. The trust also runs venues such as the Thinktank science museum and the Grade I listed Jacobean mansion Aston Hall.

Sara Wajid and Zak Mensah, co-chief executives of Birmingham Museums Trust, said: “Our museums are at a critical crossroads.

“We are very grateful to receive regular funding from Birmingham City Council and Arts Council England, but the reality is that for every pound we receive we must raise the same again to keep the doors open.

“Your Museums, Your Move is a call to action to the people of Birmingham and beyond, including businesses and organisations, to invest in the city’s greatest cultural asset, helping us to create a world class museum service which can be at the forefront of making Birmingham a great place to live, work, play and visit. “