Museums, libraries and archives
![Black Cultural Archives. Credit: Kois Miah A person handles large parchment documents in an archive room, with shelves of archive boxes in the background](/sites/default/files/styles/main_image_desktop/public/media/imgs/Raleigh%20Hall%20development%20for%20Black%20Cultural%20Archives%20-%20Black%20Cultural%20Archives%202%20copy.jpg.webp?itok=dKXj4Ndc)
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.
Projects
Woking Museum Arts & Crafts Centre
Woking Museum Arts and Craft Centre, now known as The Lightbox, was conceived by a local community group in 1993 to establish a museum of Woking’s local and social history.
Projects
New Shetland Museum & Archives
Part of Lerwick’s original waterfront was transformed into an environmentally-conscious heritage attraction using sustainable materials and traditional craftsmanship.
Projects
Kelvingrove New Century Project
Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum has undergone major refurbishment to relaunch the site as a world-class facility.
Projects
New Devon Record Office
The Devon Record Office holds judicial, administrative and ecclesiastical records from 11th century to the 20th century.
Projects
Working The War
A group of young people researched the personal stories of families who worked in the local torpedo factory during the First World War.
Projects
Bradford film history and heritage uncovered and explained
A group of young people from a local school worked with Bradford UNESCO City of Film (BUCF) to plan and deliver a heritage project alongside Bradford Industrial Museum, National Media Museum and Yorkshire Film Archive.
Projects
Battle of Waterloo Bicentenary Exhibition
The 200th anniversary of the Battle of Waterloo gave the Royal Green Jackets (Rifles) Museum the opportunity to rejuvenate their collection.
Projects
VAD indexes online: personnel records of First World War volunteers
This project created an online database of records held by the British Red Cross on volunteers during the First World War.
Projects
Unseen Sandwell - The Jubilee Community Archive 1974-1994
A rich social archive was preserved for future generations thanks to a community history project across the Borough of Sandwell, West Midlands.
Projects
Iranian Heritage Project
Northern Cultural Projects CIC spent a year investigating and documenting the Iranian Heritage of the North East.
Projects
Unlocking the Anthony Burgess archive
The International Anthony Burgess Foundation (IABF) celebrated the life and work of Anthony Burgess, the novelist, poet, playwright, critic and composer born in Manchester in 1917.
Projects
A Different Spirit
Young people worked with creative practitioners, historians, curators and local residents to uncover the history of Ancoats Art Museum.