COGGES Farm Museum is to undergo major changes before it reopens this year in a bid to keep the Witney attraction afloat.

A trust set up to run the former Oxfordshire County Council facility is looking to run it as a working farm, with a smallholder living on site.

Oxfordshire’s first “free school” is also looking to set up on part of the Church Lane site.

Organisers are planning to refurbish the cafe and kitchen, build a new play area and focus more on educating people about food.

The Cogges Heritage Trust says the museum must change to pay its way and is looking for ideas.

The council closed the 33-year-old museum in August 2009 because it was losing £200,000 a year. It attracted 30,000 visitors a year.

Trust spokesman Judy Niner said it was a “critical” point in the museum’s life and the trust expected to take over the lease by April. It hopes to have part of the site open by the summer.

She said: “We have got to work out the most viable way to open the site to visitors.

“We are absolutely listening to people in terms of what’s important to them with Cogges, whilst also understanding and appreciating what it didn’t actually succeed before.

“We are hoping to have more extensive visiting opportunities than there were last year.

“Nothing is set in stone other than we want Cogges to survive for the benefit of the community.”

The trust, which has applied for charitable status, hopes to become self-sufficient but Ms Niner said additional funding would be needed from individuals and charitable organisations.

This could include cash from a “free school” that parents who home-educate their children are looking to set up with Government finances.

A public meeting about the proposed school will be held at 2.30pm on Sunday, January 23, in St Mary’s Church, Witney.