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Museums, libraries and archives

Museums, libraries and archives

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 over £2.3billion to 5,800 museum, library, archive and collection-based projects across the UK.

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
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

New centre for illustration: celebrating Quentin Blake’s 90th birthday

A new development grant brings the Quentin Blake Centre for Illustration one step closer to realising their ambition for a new space, creating a permanent home for illustration in the UK.

Two people smiling and standing in front of a museum entrance
Heritage Fund colleagues Mwiche and Alisha at the David Livingstone Birthplace

Stories

A brave new tribute to a famous Victorian explorer

How an independent museum in Scotland is preserving and re-examining the legacy of the nation’s most renowned explorer and anti-slavery campaigner
a group of people look at objects from a historical archive laid out on a long table
The Natural History Society of Northumbria holds over 16,000 items related to wildlife and nature in the north east of England. Photo: NHSN.

Projects

New Voices for North East Nature

The Natural History Society of Northumbria (NHSN) are collecting and sharing new stories about how a connection with nature has helped people in times of need in the north east of England.

Liverpool fans attending the 1978 Bruges European Cup Final. Credit: Adrien Killen
Liverpool fans attending the 1978 Bruges European Cup Final. Credit: Adrien Killen

Projects

Liverpool Football Club's RED archive caravan tour

Over six years, a fan-led community organisation have created an extensive and evocative collection of Liverpool Football Club fans’ personal photos and stories.