In our latest round of funding, we’ve invested in six museums that are showcasing the UK’s diverse heritage through one-of-a-kind collections. New exhibitions will tell the stories of football, cricket, diving, pottery and more, while many of the artefacts will be going on public display for the first time.

Our latest investment in museums shows the incredible diversity and brilliance of our museums
Eilish McGuinness, Chief Executive of The National Lottery Heritage Fund  

Museums for everyone

The projects we've awarded a combined £7.6m funding to include:

The Museum of Two Halves (awarded £2.7m) will combine the local Wrexham Museum with a new Football Museum for Wales, engaging new audiences in the town’s sporting heritage. Iconic objects on display will include John Charles’ debut shirt and a cap awarded to Billy Meredith.

The Diving Museum (awarded £802,604) in Gosport is pairing refurbishment of the Grade II* listed Victorian gun battery with new interpretation to showcase the history of the birthplace of the global deep-sea diving industry.

The Leach Pottery Museum (awarded £3.4m) in St. Ives is establishing a new learning and production centre. The new space will honour the legacy of world-renowned potter Bernard Leach and help local communities discover traditional pottery methods.

The Museum of Aberdeenshire (awarded £309,409) has been awarded funding to develop plans to transform the historic Arbuthnot House into a new museum housing artefacts including the Deskford Carnyx, a rare early Celtic trumpet.

Development funding is supporting The Egypt Exploration Society (awarded £61,321) to refine plans for the renovation of their Camden building. The refurbishment will allow the internationally significant Oxyrhynchus Papyri to be displayed for the first time.

The Lancashire Cricket Heritage Experience (awarded £176,650) will develop plans to bring an interactive heritage hub to the Emirates Old Trafford cricket ground. The museum will feature immersive technology, interactive displays and hands on exhibits.

Inspiring discovery

Eilish McGuinness, Chief Executive of The National Lottery Heritage Fund, said: “From Aberdeenshire to Cornwall, our latest investment in museums shows the incredible diversity and brilliance of our museums, with collections of local, national and international significance. 

"These projects will inspire visitors of all ages, with many of these collections being revealed for the first time, and all will connect people with the individual stories of sport, diving, pottery, archaeology and much more, adding up to a national story covering all the many and varied heritage we have to offer.

“Our investment in the cultural heritage fabric of these museums will inspire people, connect communities, and drive growth, allowing everyone to discover the amazing local heritage in towns across the UK and support our vision for heritage to be valued, cared for and sustained for everyone, now and in the future. Heritage can be anything from the past that people value and want to pass on for future generations, and these museums shows that passion and variety. So, no matter what the weather brings this summer, there is always a fantastic museum or heritage place open to discover, explore and enjoy."

Thanks to National Lottery players, we’ve awarded £2.4billion to more than 5,900 museum, library, archive, and collection-based projects across the UK over the past 30 years.

Funding museums, libraries and archives

We fund collection-based projects that help preserve and celebrate the heritage of people, places and all our passions. Get inspired by browsing some of the other museum, library and archive projects we’ve supported.