• New funding is being awarded to museums, galleries, libraries and cultural venues across the country in the next round of funding thanks to the Conservative Government.
• Simon Fell is calling on local museums and galleries across Barrow & Furness to bid for nearly £17 million in new funding to improve their displays and collections.
• This new funding from the Conservative Government and the Arts Council will fund maintenance, improve infrastructure, and level up access to culture.

Simon Fell MP is encouraging museums, galleries, libraries, and cultural venues across Barrow & Furness to bid for £16.9 million in new funding from the Museum Estate and Development Fund to level up access to culture in our communities.

This cash boost will help museums to conduct maintenance work to improve their building infrastructure for the benefit of visitors, staff, and their collections – preserving our shared culture for communities to enjoy across the country.

The Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport is contributing the extra funding for the second round of the Museum Estate and Development Fund.

Museums can enter Round 2 from 9 May 2022 and bid for grants of between £50,000 and £5 million. 31 museums across England were supported by the fund in its first round. 

Museums and galleries benefitting from the Fund’s investments have improved access for communities to their local history. Funding awarded has helped to complete structural work, prevent flooding, and increase public access, so that more people can visit their collections and enjoy our national heritage.

Funding from the previous round supported museums across the country including Bletchley Park near Milton Keynes, as well as museums in Birmingham, Bristol, Leicester, and Norfolk.

The Conservative Government is delivering on its commitment set out in its Levelling Up White Paper to increase cultural spending outside the capital to widen access and boost cultural opportunities.

Commenting, Mr Fell said: “We have some fantastic museums in Barrow-in-Furness, ranging from the Dock Museum to the Laurel and Hardy Museum. I am extremely proud to have these museums in my constituency, they showcase our rich heritage and we must preserve them for future generations to enjoy.” 

“The Government’s extra £16.9 million in funding from the Museum Estate and Development Fund will protect and widen access to the historic collections in our museums and galleries. I urge museums and cultural venues across Barrow & Furness to apply from 9 May 2022.

“This Conservative Government is levelling up access to culture across the country – safeguarding the best of our local history so that wherever people live they can be proud of our shared heritage.”