£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

Published: 08/10/2025 by Radio NewsHub