The countdown is on in Street, where the brand new Shoemakers Museum is preparing to open its doors – and calling on the community to help get it over the line.

With fewer than 100 days to go until the grand opening, building work is officially complete and fit-out of the four permanent exhibition galleries is underway. The team has also launched a new website, started a recruitment drive, and issued a final fundraising appeal to raise the last £150,000 needed to finish the job.

And if you've got a sweet tooth, you're in luck – last month's call-out for local bakers was a hit, and the museum café will now be stocked with tasty treats made right here in Somerset.

Now, attention is turning to the museum shop. Organisers are on the lookout for local artists, makers and crafters to help fill the shelves. Think pottery, leather goods, jewellery and handmade gifts – especially those tied to themes like shoemaking, factory life, social reform or Street's radical history.

Meanwhile, the museum is hiring. Paid roles are available for Visitor Experience Hosts, working flexibly across the café, ticket desk, shop and museum grounds. Shifts are available seven days a week at £12.60 an hour – with applications open until 30 June.

Volunteer information sessions are also planned for later this month – both in person and online – for anyone keen to help welcome visitors or share stories from Street's past.

One of the highlights in progress is the new Under the Sea gallery, which will showcase fossils from the days when Jurassic seas covered Somerset. Expert Nigel Larkin is helping mount ichthyosaurs, ammonites and fossil plants, creating a walk-through display of what life looked like 200 million years ago.

The final push is now underway, with a crowdfunding campaign live to help raise the final funds needed to complete the refurbishment and landscaping.

A spokesperson said: "We're so close now. The museum will celebrate 200 years of shoemaking – but we're also looking far beyond that, from prehistoric seas to Somerset's industrial heritage. Whether you want to donate, work with us, or be part of the shop – we'd love to hear from you."

Shoemakers Museum is due to open in September. For job details, volunteering, donations or getting involved as a maker, visit the official website.