Museums, libraries and archives
Black Cultural Archives. Credit: Kois Miah
Museums, libraries and archives tell the stories of our cultural heritage.
Through objects, collections, film, documents and oral histories they help to give us a sense of place and identity.
Thanks to National Lottery players, since 1994 we have awarded £2.4billion to 5,900 museum, library, archive and collection-based projects across the UK. See stories from projects we've funded below.
We provide grants for heritage projects from £10,000–£10million to ensure that heritage is valued, cared for and sustained for everyone, now and in the future.
What do we support?
Our funding supports institutions large and small, including:
- national and local authority museums, libraries and archives
- historic libraries
- community archives
- institutions with heritage collections
Project ideas
Our funding could help people:
- create exciting new exhibition and learning spaces
- attract more diverse audiences
- interpret and open up acquisitions
- develop collections
For more inspiration, see the stories below or browse projects we've funded.
How to get funding
Our National Lottery Heritage Grants programme is open for applications.
Stories
Why working with communities can be 'transformational' for museums
Through including LGBT+ people in conversations about their heritage, one National Lottery-funded project has helped improve representation in Glasgow's museums.
News
Opening up collections: LGBT+ heritage at the V&A
Stuart Hobley, our Director of England, London & South, met with: Joseph Galliano, co-founder of charity Queer Britain, which is working to establish the UK's first national LGBT+ museum Dan Vo, LGBT+ tour co-ordinator at the V&A In the film below, Joseph explains how understanding our past helps us
News
National Lottery Awards shortlist announced
Nominations have been drawn from the past quarter of a century to celebrate The National Lottery’s 25th Birthday.
Stories
'Astronaut wanted': the story of Helen Sharman's unique spacesuit
Helen Sharman was the first Briton in space. But before she could even start her training, she had to have a spacesuit made just for her.
Stories
Four artists on how heritage has inspired them
As the Luminary installation opens at the National Lottery-funded Crossness Pumping Station, we spoke to four artists who combine old and new in their work.
Blogs
Why communities are essential to sharing the stories of Pride
These significant and inclusive events raise the profile of all sorts of LGBT+ lived experiences, celebrate activism and build stronger alliances. They increasingly involve people of all ages, cultures and faiths in publicly sharing differing identities. Alongside Stonewall’s 50th anniversary this
News
Million insects saved as part of £8million of National Lottery funding
A million bugs Oxford University Museum of Natural History’s British Insect Collection has over a million specimens from the 18th century to today, including some that are now extinct. Spanning nearly the entire history of British entomology, the collection is vital in understating the extent and
News
National Lottery funding for three volunteer-led projects in Scotland
Three new projects in Scotland, with volunteering at their heart, have secured significant support from The National Lottery Heritage Fund.
News
Blackpool’s first museum leads the way in heritage-led regeneration
A new museum for Blackpool has been awarded a £4million National Lottery Heritage Fund grant as part of a £10m package of grants, giving heritage-led regeneration and tourism a boost across the North.
View of Braemar village in the Cairngorms National Park, Scotland. Credit: Cameron Cosgrove
Hub
Heritage Horizon Awards
News
Launch of £100million Heritage Horizon Awards
We will invest £100million over the next three years in ambitious, innovative and transformational projects that will revolutionise UK heritage.
News
Six stories for London History Day
It’s London History Day. Here are six of our favourite heritage stories from the city, all supported by the National Lottery.