Museums, libraries and archives

Museums, libraries and archives

A person handles large parchment documents in an archive room, with shelves of archive boxes in the background
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.

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.

Young woman in a gallery

Projects

Creative Wiltshire and Swindon

A partnership of heritage organisations used a Collecting Cultures grant to collect the work of local people.

A community archaeology project display
Community archaeology project display co-created by communities working with Tenby and Narberth Museums

Projects

Saving Treasures, Telling Stories

This project, supported by our Collecting Cultures fund, brought together museums across Wales with local treasure-hunters, improving long-term relationships and collections.

People in science fiction costumes

Projects

Exploring Childhoods

This project allowed the museum to be more adventurous, deepen relationships with community partners and seek out new audiences for more contemporary collections.

Collecting the Troubles and Beyond

Projects

Collecting the Troubles and Beyond

This three-year project aimed to strategically develop the collection of material related to the Troubles in National Museums of Northern Ireland (NMNI).

Volunteers learning new skills at the Washburn Heritage centre
Volunteers learning new skills at the Washburn Heritage centre

Projects

Life and death in the Washburn Valley

The history of Fewston Churchyard will be researched to reveal the roots of the local community.

A young participant demonstrates wartime medical techniques to a young visitor
One of the young participants demonstrates wartime medical techniques to a young visitor

Projects

Wartime Medicine and Innovation

Young people investigated the medical developments from the First World War and the impact they have on their lives today.

Two volunteers handle objects from the collection with a visitor
Object handling sessions enable visitors to engage more closely with the collections

Projects

In Touch - Museum Volunteer Accreditation Programme

Two museums worked closely with local agencies and community groups to open up volunteering opportunities to people who would not usually engage with heritage.

An icon of a hammer and chisel

Projects

Valence House Redevelopment Project

The Valence House Museum received a grant of £1,843,000 to enhance the Grade II* building and its surroundings, improve access, and create learning and involvement activities as well as new resources.

If you query is regarding our application portal, please contact our support team.