NMMC Benefits from Cultural Investment Fund

We are thrilled to have been awarded £499,000 from the latest round of the Museum Estate and Development Fund (MEND), allowing us to make some significant improvements to our building.

The funding allocated to the Museum will go towards repairing the roof of the building, which has been leaking significantly in multiple locations for a number of years, replace a number of high level windows and install a new ventilation system to ensure safe use of the Museum’s storage facilities. These vital repairs and improvements will mean we can continue to safeguard our collections, improve the experience for our visitors and create a safer working environment for our teams.

Richard Doughty, Director of National Maritime Museum Cornwall, said: ‘It is no exaggeration to say, when we were notified about the grant it was a ‘Hallelujah’ moment. Replacing our main roof has been a top priority for us, for several years. However, the costs have remained stubbornly beyond our reach. The MEND awards provide a lifeline for organisations struggling to finance essential infrastructure works and we are deeply grateful to have been given the help we need to address this fundamental issue.’

Arts and Heritage Minister Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay said: ‘Museums and libraries are the bedrock of the community across the country, helping to inspire the creativity and curiosity of young people and begin lifelong passions for reading, learning, history and the arts. This major cultural investment will continue our work to level up access to culture across the country, with beneficiaries from St Ives to Sunderland and from Medway to Tyneside, building on the £100 million of further Levelling Up funding for cultural and heritage projects confirmed at this month’s Budget.’