£20 million fund to be shared across 75 museums in England

A £20 million fund will be distributed across museums in England to ensure they remain open, the Government has announced.

The Museum Renewal Fund will be shared among 75 local and regional museums with the aim of improving and protecting public access to collections, community and educational programmes, opening hours and job opportunities for millions of visitors and local communities.

The grants also aim to strengthen the museums’ ability to attract tourists and employers to regions across the country, ensuring they remain fit for the future.

Birmingham Museums Trust, Barnsley Museums and Discover Bucks Museum are among the 75 to receive a grant, which could range from £11,000 to more than £1 million.

Among those receiving the highest grants are York Museums Trust, which will receive £1 million, and Hampshire Cultural Trust, which is expected to get £1,177,430.

Museums minister Baroness Fiona Twycross said: “Museums offer a place where people from all backgrounds can learn, be inspired and delve into our rich history, helping to understand the stories that led us to where we are today.

“The Museum Renewal Fund is contributing to the delivery of our plan for change.

“It ensures much-loved civic museums can remain open and continue to provide opportunities for future generations to learn about our shared heritage and how their local community has played its part in our national story.”

According to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport’s (DCMS), the fund aims to strengthen the nationwide network of museums and ensure that local communities have access to culture “for generations to come”.

It is part of the £270 million Arts Everywhere Fund and the Government’s wider Plan For Change to support economic growth and increase opportunities nationwide.

Sir Nicholas Serota, chairman of Arts Council England, said: “Travelling through cities, towns and villages across the UK, I have seen that museums and art galleries are often a proud focal point in communities, telling important stories about history, people and place.

“This funding will provide a crucial lifeline for local museums in stabilising their financial situation and building towards a sustainable future.”

Full list of recipients receiving a share of the fund: 

– London:

Headstone Manor & Museum – £419,420
Fulham Palace – £571,033
Gunnersbury Park Museum – £147,309
Richmond Arts Service – £117,354
Brent Museum and Archives – £121,851
Haringey Council – £60,400

– West Midlands:

Culture Coventry – £384,390
Museum of Royal Worcester CIO – £228,343
Birmingham Museums Trust – £994,742
Shropshire Council – £226,238
Ford Green Hall Museum – £34,369
Tamworth Borough Council – £139,120
Warwickshire County Council – £37,690
Museums Worcestershire – Worcester City Art Gallery and Museum – £239,922

– East Midlands: 

Derby Museums – £799,700
Derbyshire County Council Museums Service – £72,000
Sharpe’s Pottery Heritage and Arts Trust – £42,019
The Village Church Farm Museum – £14,085

– North East:

Sunderland City Council – £102,280
The Bowes Museum – £436,181
Jarrow Hall – £38,669
Middlesbrough Council Cultural Services – £239,551
Tyne & Wear Archives & Museums – £438,300

– North West:

People’s History Museum – £652,157
Tullie House Museum and Art Gallery – £598,775
The World of Glass – £286,000
Keswick Museum & Art Gallery Management Ltd – £217,103
Manchester City Galleries – £74,184
Bury Art Museum & Sculpture Centre – £67,600
Lancaster City Museums – £40,500
The Norton Priory Museum Trust – £52,000
Lakeland Arts – £295,713

– South East:

Vale and Downland Museum – £53,190
Windsor and Royal Borough Museum – £65,895
Museum of Oxford, Oxford City Council – £227,952
Chatham Historic Dockyard Trust – £533,084
Bucks County Museum – £314, 000
Wycombe Museum – £104,318
Royal Pavilion & Museums Trust – £881,848
The Banbury Museum Trust – £131,957
Bexhill Museum £43,118
Maidstone Museums – £75,000

– South West:

Exeter City Council – £114,202
Wiltshire Museum – £11,077
Bristol Museums – £495,320
Weymouth Museum Trust – £43,725
The Box (Plymouth City Council) – £184,215
South West Heritage Trust – £503,131
Bridport Museum Trust – £29,218
Dean Heritage Centre – £58,285
Trowbridge Town Council – £25,000
BCP Council (Poole Museums) – £376,500
Museum of Gloucester – £360,378
Burton Art Gallery and Museum – £161,570
King John’s House and Tudor Cottage Trust Ltd – £106,000
Hampshire Cultural Trust – £1,177,430

– East of England:

Luton Cultural Services Trust – £530,528
Norfolk Museums Service – £360,000
Chelmsford City Council – £236,297
Ware Museum CIO – £58,337
Southend Museum Service – £39,794
The Cromwell Museum – £240,300
Peterborough City Council – £168,000
Colchester Borough Council – £126,200
The Food Museum Ltd – £351,112
St Albans Museums – £85,000

– Yorkshire and the Humber:

Hull Culture and Leisure – £272,095
Sheffield Museums Trust – £708,064
Bradford Museums and Galleries – £125,000
Wakefield Museums & Pontefract Castle – £82,807
York Museums Trust – £1,000,000
Leeds Museums and Galleries – £952,000
Ilkley Manor House Trust – £16,782
Barnsley Museum – £266,273
Doncaster Heritage Services – £116,000