Six of London’s smaller museums have been awarded funding by the Arts Council’s Museum Renewal Fund.
Gunnersbury Park Museum (c) ianVisits
The Museum Renewal Fund, which opened for applications in April 2025, is for Local Authority linked museums. The fund, delivered by the Arts Council on behalf of the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, will support museums in stabilising their financial situation and building towards sustainable and thriving futures.
The funding is intended to help museums address the shortfall between operating costs and income throughout their 2025-26 budget, which may result in reduced programming, lower footfall, and fewer days the museum is open to the public. Some of the funding can also be allocated to projects aimed at enhancing the museum’s long-term financial stability for the future.
In total, £20 million was distributed among 75 museums across the UK, including £1.43 million for six London venues.
- Headstone Manor & Museum – £419,420
- Fulham Palace – £571,033
- Gunnersbury Park Museum – £147,309
- Richmond Arts Service – £117,354
- Brent Museum and Archives – £121,851
- Haringey Council – £60,400
Sir Nicholas Serota, Chair, Arts Council England said: “Travelling through cities, towns, and villages across the UK, I have seen that museums and art galleries are often a proud focal point in communities, telling important stories about history, people and place. This funding will provide a crucial lifeline for local museums in stabilising their financial situation and building towards a sustainable future.”
The full list outside London includes:
West Midlands:
- Culture Coventry – £384,390
- Museum of Royal Worcester CIO – £228,343
- Birmingham Museums Trust – £994,742
- Shropshire Council – £226,238
- Ford Green Hall Museum – £34,369
- Tamworth Borough Council – £139,120
- Warwickshire County Council – £37,690
- Museums Worcestershire
- Worcester City Art Gallery and Museum – £239,922
East Midlands:
- Derby Museums – £799,700
- Derbyshire County Council Museums Service – £72,000
- Sharpe’s Pottery Heritage and Arts Trust – £42,019
- The Village Church Farm Museum – £14,085
North East:
- Sunderland City Council – £102,280
- The Bowes Museum – £436,181
- Jarrow Hall – £38,669
- Middlesbrough Council Cultural Services – £239,551
- Tyne & Wear Archives & Museums – £438,300
North West:
- People’s History Museum – £652,157
- Tullie House Museum and Art Gallery – £598,775
- The World of Glass – £286,000
- Keswick Museum & Art Gallery Management Ltd – £217,103
- Manchester City Galleries – £74,184
- Bury Art Museum & Sculpture Centre – £67,600
- Lancaster City Museums – £40,500
- The Norton Priory Museum Trust – £52,000
- Lakeland Arts – £295,713
South East:
- Vale and Downland Museum – £53,190
- Windsor and Royal Borough Museum – £65,895
- Museum of Oxford, Oxford City Council – £227,952
- Chatham Historic Dockyard Trust – £533,084
- Bucks County Museum – £314, 000
- Wycombe Museum – £104,318
- Royal Pavilion & Museums Trust – £881,848
- The Banbury Museum Trust – £131,957
- Bexhill Museum £43,118
- Maidstone Museums – £75,000
South West:
- Exeter City Council – £114,202
- Wiltshire Museum – £11,077
- Bristol Museums – £495,320
- Weymouth Museum Trust – £43,725
- The Box (Plymouth City Council) – £184,215
- South West Heritage Trust – £503,131
- Bridport Museum Trust – £29,218
- Dean Heritage Centre – £58,285
- Trowbridge Town Council – £25,000
- BCP Council (Poole Museums) – £376,500
- Museum of Gloucester – £360,378
- Burton Art Gallery and Museum – £161,570
- King John’s House and Tudor Cottage Trust Ltd – £106,000
- Hampshire Cultural Trust – £1,177,430
East of England:
- The Culture Trust, Luton – £530,528
- Norfolk Museums Service – £360,000
- Chelmsford City Council – £236,297
- Ware Museum CIO – £58,337
- Southend Museum Service – £39,794
- The Cromwell Museum – £240,300
- Peterborough City Council – £168,000
- Colchester Borough Council – £126,200
- The Food Museum Ltd – £351,112
- St Albans Museums – £85,000
Yorkshire and the Humber:
- Hull Culture and Leisure – £272,095
- Sheffield Museums Trust – £708,064
- Bradford Museums and Galleries – £125,000
- Wakefield Museums & Pontefract Castle – £82,807
- York Museums Trust – £1,000,000
- Leeds Museums and Galleries – £952,000
- Ilkley Manor House Trust – £16,782
- Barnsley Museum – £266,273
- Doncaster Heritage Services – £116,000
