Museums, libraries and archives

Museums, libraries and archives tell the stories of our cultural heritage.

Through preservation, exhibition and community engagement, they can bring collections, places and ideas to life. They help us to understand culture, science and history, and give us a sense of place, identity and community.

Thanks to National Lottery players, since 1994 we have awarded £2.5billion to 6,000 museum, library, archive and collection-based projects across the UK. See stories from projects we've funded below.

What do we support?

We provide grants for heritage projects from £10,000–£10million for projects led by or featuring museums, libraries and archives.

Our funding supports institutions large and small, including:

national, local authority and independent museums, libraries and archives
historic libraries
community archives and oral history collections
institutions with heritage collections

Project ideas

Our funding could help people:

create exciting new exhibition and learning spaces
attract new and more diverse audiences
acquire new items and develop collections
improve organisational resilience

For more inspiration, see the stories below, browse projects we've funded, or explore our recent Dynamic Collections campaign.

How to get funding

Our National Lottery Heritage Grants programme is open for applications.

Find out more and apply

Staff outside The Story, a new history centre in Durham.

Staff outside The Story. Photo: Durham County Council.

Projects

A new home for County Durham’s historic collections

Mount Oswald, a Grade II Listed manor house, has been transformed into The Story, a new visitor attraction celebrating the heritage of County Durham.

28/11/2019

The Museums and Heritage awards ceremony room

News

Joint winners announced for Sustainable Project of the Year 2024

The Scottish Crannog Centre and Manchester Museum and Museum Development England's North team were crowned sustainability award winners at the 22nd annual Museums + Heritage Awards.

15/05/2024

A black and white image of children playing in an industrial area.

A photograph from the AmberSide Collection. Photo: Sirkka-Liisa Konttinen.

Projects

Transforming Amber: Building a Resilient Future

This project will safeguard an industrial heritage archive by developing new ways for the Amber Film & Photography Collective to become financially sustainable.

25/04/2024

Young children are sat on colourful seating inside the museum, while others are stood on the stairs in the background

Families exploring the new museum. Photo: Hufton and Crow.

Projects

It's showtime: Blackpool's first museum celebrates the town’s rich entertainment heritage

The brand-new museum Showtown leads the way in the cultural regeneration of the UK’s first mass seaside resort.

20/03/2018

Museums and Heritage sign at the awards ceremony

News

Six organisations shortlisted for Sustainable Project of the Year 2024

The Museums + Heritage Awards have announced the shortlist for the sustainability category. Discover how these projects are demonstrating best practice.

14/03/2024

Two people wearing Reimagine, Remake, Replay tshirts using filming equipment at an event

Reimagine, Remake, Replay is a Kick the Dust programme that ran in Northern Ireland.

Blogs

Techniques for supporting young people's wellbeing during heritage projects

How Kick the Dust projects worked to create high quality environments for participants.

05/03/2024

A family look at a bird nesting box display

RSPB Belfast Window on Wildlife is offering free entry. Credit: Brian Morrison.

News

Hundreds of special heritage offers across the UK this spring

National Lottery Open Week is back, taking place from Saturday 9 to Sunday 17 March.

27/02/2024

People wear colourful clothes and hold banners and rainbow flags at Isle of Wight Pride.

Pride celebrations on the Isle of Wight. Photo: Héctor Manchego.

Stories

LGBTQ+ heritage organisations share their advice on how to run great projects

We’re proud to be supporting projects that are saving the heritage of the LGBTQ+ community and sharing these stories to build understanding and inclusion.

A head and shoulders image of Helen Featherstone

Helen Featherstone. Photo: Roth Reed.

Blogs

A year as Director of England, North: resilience and saving heritage

Our Director of England, North Helen Featherstone reflects on her first year in the role, the needs of heritage organisations in the North and our commitment to supporting resilience.

15/02/2024

Groups of people looking at exhibits in a maritime museum

Publications

Interpretation good practice guidance

Interpretation is the way we communicate stories and ideas about heritage to different audiences. It plays a critical role in helping visitors engage with our heritage – intellectually and emotionally.

The interior of the Great Hall at Rochdale Town Hall, with decorative ceiling panels and gold angel statues held by wooden beams.

The Great Hall, Rochdale Town Hall. Photo: JMA Photography.

Projects

Rochdale Town Hall restored to its former glory

This project has improved the condition of one of the UK’s finest examples of Victorian Gothic architecture, and opened up spaces to the public for the first time.

24/04/2018