Museums, libraries and archives | The National Lottery Heritage Fund

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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.

Find out more and apply

Four young people chatting and looking at a display of a small historical model settlement

Curating for Change Fellows at the Museum of London. Credit: Museum of London

Stories

How to make recruitment fair and open to all

Curating for Change – the National Lottery-funded work placement programme for D/deaf, disabled and neurodivergent curators in museums – is challenging the heritage sector to consider equitable recruitment.

Tickets to the Museums + Heritage awards ceremony

News

Shortlist announced for Sustainable Project of the Year

Six projects have been shortlisted for the Museums + Heritage award, which recognises outstanding environmentally sustainable projects or exhibitions.

09/03/2023

Black and white studio photo from 1923 of three women posing in a 'frieze'

Frieze, 1923

News

Pioneering portrait photographer Dorothy Wilding celebrated in new exhibition

Works by the photographer – who took the iconic portrait of the young Queen Elizabeth II featured on UK stamps – go on show in Gloucester thanks to National Lottery funding.

08/03/2023

Image of person with long dark hair and dark clothing taking a picture on a mobile of a display of music gig posters at The Museum of Youth Culture

Display of gig posters at The Museum of Youth Culture

Stories

Future-proofing museum collections: four Dynamic Collections successes

We look at four projects getting underway in museums, libraries and archives that are working innovatively to make the most of their collections.

A person standing in front of a glass display of pride flags, t-shirts, leaflets and other memorabilia in a glass case

Mark Etheridge, Curator of LGBTQ+ History in front of 'Wales is… Proud' display.

Stories

Wales is Proud: a look into a national LGBTQ+ collection

Amgueddfa Cymru – Museum of Wales is actively collecting objects, documents, photographs and oral histories to fully represent the LGBTQ+ community and lived experience in Wales

Person painting a rickshaw on display in the South Asia Gallery at Manchester Museum

Rickshaw being painted as part of the South Asia Gallery at Manchester Museum

News

Hello Future: Manchester Museum to reopen following ambitious transformation

Supported by National Lottery players, the museum will offer visitors the chance to see never-before-displayed collections, explore unique co-curated galleries and learn about extraordinary projects and research.

16/02/2023

Outside in the stunning setting of Glencoe

News

£1.4million to transform the Highlands’ Glencoe Folk Museum

The community-run museum is set to enhance its visitor experience and bring the village of Glencoe’s unique heritage alive for current and future generations.

16/01/2023

Colourful illustration of water works building with celebration fireworks drawn by Quentin Blake

Quentin Blake's illustration of the Engine House building, the new home of the Quentin Blake Centre for Illustration. Credit: Quentin Blake Centre for Illustration.

Projects

Quentin Blake Centre for Illustration

Historic waterworks are to become the Quentin Blake Centre for Illustration thanks to over £3.75million in funding.

29/11/2022

the exhibition space at The Peacemakers Museum

The Peacemakers Museum.

Projects

New Peacemakers Museum explores community journey from conflict to peace

A new community heritage museum has opened at the Gasyard Centre in Spring 2024.

26/11/2019

People in period costumes with children in front of an old train

Tour guides at the Foyle Valley Railway and Transport Museum posing with visitors. Credit: Destined

Stories

Why you should involve people with lived experience in your heritage project

An interpretive centre run by people with learning disabilities is showcasing Derry/Londonderry’s historic railway heritage and highlighting the importance of inclusion.

A space suit exhibited in a museum

The Science Museum in London had the highest score in the Heritage Access 2022 benchmark tool for online access information.

Stories

Report: museums and heritage sites need to improve online accessibility information

A research project led by charity VocalEyes is calling for organisations to create a more inclusive environment for disabled visitors online – committing to equality, inclusion and anti-ableism.

Dynamic Collections: behind the scenes at Pitt Rivers

Videos

Dynamic Collections: behind the scenes at Pitt Rivers

How the historic Oxford museum "queered its collections" and changed the way it worked, forever.