The UK secretary of state for culture, media and sport, Tessa Jowell, has announced that the People’s History Museum in Manchester and London’s Chiswick House are to be granted a total of £15m from the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF).
The People’s History Museum, which will receive £7.18m, will use the grant to merge its existing two sites into one, as well as modernising its exhibition and educational facilities.
Chiswick House’s £7.9m grant will help to safeguard the future of its Grade I listed gardens, which comprise 26 hectares of woodland, garden, lawns and sports facilities.
Carole Souter, HLF director, said: “These new grants show the range of heritage people treasure and the wider benefits it can deliver to communities.”
Tessa Jowell added: “I am very pleased that The People’s History Museum has been successful in securing HLF support. It’s important that Lottery money directly benefits the people who actually buy the tickets, so a museum which celebrates real people’s lives and tells their stories is very deserving of a grant.” Details: www.hlf.org.uk
