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. 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.

Participants in the project
Participants in the project

Projects

Young Muslim Aberdeen

A group of local young Muslims explored how their heritage is archived in two major city museums, in a project run by Young Muslim Aberdeen.

British Museum courtyard

Projects

British Museum - Education & Information Centre

Our funding supported the creation of an education and information centre within the Great Court of the Museum, allowing access to this space for the first time since the 1850s.

Clay statues at Wheal Martyn China Clay Museum
Clay statues at Wheal Martyn China Clay Museum

Projects

Regeneration and resilience at Cornwall's china clay mining museum

Wheal Martyn is home to the UK’s only china clay mining museum. A fully accredited museum, Wheal Martyn cares for and presents a collection of industry-related objects, machinery, photographs and archives.

People taking part in Ask the Audience
People taking part in Ask the Audience

Projects

Ask the Audience

Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery (BMAG) wanted their audiences and offer to better reflect the city’s diversity, and to change the organisation’s culture, putting audiences at its heart.

One of the museum's new galleries
One of the museum's new galleries

Projects

Governor's Residence Access

The Governor’s Residence, part of the Down County Museum, has been made accessible for all visitors, thanks to the National Lottery.

The Hydraulic Pumping Engine with instrument panel
The Hydraulic Pumping Engine with instrument panel

Projects

Restoration of Galloways Pump Engine

The Galloways Hydraulic Pumping Engine has been restored and is now on display to the public.

A display in the new exhibition space
A display in the new exhibition space

Projects

Bury Museum and Archive Centre

Bury Art Museum and Sculpture Centre have a new museum and archive centre, thanks to National Lottery players.

The Darwin Centre at the Natural History Museum

Projects

Darwin Centre

A new building was created to house the museum’s internationally-important collection of botany and entomology specimens, dating from the 16th century.

Students attending a project workshop
Students attending a project workshop

Projects

Degrees of Separation, Barnstaple

Primary and secondary school children engaged with the stories of local soldiers during the First World War through workshops with local museums and an artist, culminating in an exhibition and open day event for the wider community.

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