The Wolfson Foundation and the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) today announced the museums and galleries which will each receive a share of £4 million to improve displays, protect collections and make exhibitions more accessible to visitors.
This latest round of the DCMS/Wolfson Museums and Galleries Improvement Fund supports 24 museums across England. The Wolfson Foundation and the DCMS each contributed £2 million to the fund, which has so far benefited over 440 projects in its 24-year history.
The fund aims to help museums and galleries create and upgrade their spaces to ensure their wonderful, often hidden collections can be vividly brought to life.
Manchester Museum receives £200,000 for the redevelopment of its Vivarium
Manchester Museum, part of the University of Manchester, houses approximately 30 different amphibian and reptile species and is the only place outside Central America where you can find the critically endangered variable harlequin toad (Atelopus varius). Funding will help to revitalise public displays to make the visitor experience more accessible and create new, state-of-the art facilities and bespoke naturalistic environments for the animals it cares for.
£103,000 awarded to the Museum of Barnstable and North Devon
Barnstable’s rich trading history will be on full display in a new silver gallery which will showcase some of the finest silver spoons from the 16th and 17th century.
Alison Mills, Director of the Museum of Barnstaple and North Devon, said: “We are delighted to receive this funding boost from the DCMS and the Wolfson Foundation. During the 16th and 17th centuries, Barnstaple was a very prosperous town as its merchants became wealthy trading with Europe and the new world. Among the ways they spent their money was on beautiful silver spoons, which would be purchased to show the wealth of the family and as an investment. A community of silversmiths grew up in the town, and we will now be able to showcase their work alongside some of the most beautiful silver we have in our collection.”
Norwich Castle awarded £228,900 for its project ‘The Land of Boudica’
The funding was formally announced by Museums Minister Baroness Twycross and Chief Executive of the Wolfson Foundation Paul Ramsbottom on a visit to Norwich Castle. Norwich Castle received £228,900 to help bring to life its wealth of nationally significant archaeological finds yielded from the fields of Norfolk, and to tell the compelling story of Boudica and her rebellion. Baroness Twycross said of the partnership: “We want to ensure that everyone, everywhere can experience arts and culture in the area they call home and this fund plays a key role in making that happen.
The DCMS/Wolfson Museums and Galleries Improvement Fund demonstrates how public funding and private philanthropy can work together to open up access to museums and galleries for those who might otherwise face barriers, and help more people enjoy the UK’s world-class collections.”
Museums are among the great treasures of British cultural life
Ensuring people across the country have access to their remarkable culture and heritage is important to the Wolfson Foundation, as Paul Ramsbottom explained: “Museums are among the great treasures of British cultural life. They preserve the collections and stories that speak of our shared creativity and community heritage. This latest round of funding from the long-standing DCMS/Wolfson partnership allows museums – and particularly regional museums – to upgrade their facilities and improve access to their collections, so more of us can enjoy the fascinating wonders on our doorstep.”
Full list of recipients
North West
- Platt Hall (Manchester City Galleries) – £38,700
- Manchester Museum – £200,000
North East
- Segedunum Roman Fort – £213,100
- Seven Stories, National Centre for Children’s Books – £316,200
- Museum of Hartlepool – £218,400
- Kirkleatham Museum – £272,000
South East
- Reading Museum – £80,000
- Weald and Downland Living Museum – £227,000
- Booth Museum of Natural History – £139,900
- Pitt Rivers Museum – £55,000
South West
- SS Great Britain – £46,300
- Museum of Barnstaple and North Devon – £103,000
- Bristol Museum and Art Gallery – £317,100
- The Burton at Bideford – £86,500
West Midlands
- Barber Institute of Fine Arts – £150,000
- British Motor Museum – £147,700
- Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery – £183,100
- Black Country Living Museum – £272,000
East Midlands
- National Tramway Museum – £210,600
East of England
- Food Museum – £357,600
- Norwich Castle – £228,900
London
- Garden Museum – £75,000
Yorkshire and the Humber
- Thackray Museum of Medicine – £39,900
- The Hepworth Wakefield – £22,000
About DCMS/Wolfson Museums and Galleries Improvement Fund
The DCMS/Wolfson Museums and Galleries Improvement Fund provides capital funding for museums and galleries across England to improve displays, protect collections and make exhibitions more accessible to visitors. For 2025-27, DCMS and the Wolfson Foundation have each contributed £2 million to the Fund, which has benefitted over 440 projects in its 24-year history.
Top image: Baroness Twycross, Paul Ramsbottom and Dr Tim Pestell in Norwich Castle. Image courtesy of the Department for Culture, Media and Sport
