Key points:
- The Royal Air Force (RAF) Museum Midlands will receive £9.3m in grants to build new areas to put more items on display
- The Royal Marines Experience in Portsmouth will allow the museum to reopen and build new exhibits for visitors
The National Lottery Heritage Fund has approved £13.7m ($18.3m) in grants on the 80th anniversary of Victory in Europe (VE) Day.
The first grant, totalling £9.3m, will go towards the Royal Air Force (RAF) Museum Midlands, located in Cosford.
The RAF museum will use this investment to build a new Learning Centre and Collections Hub, as only 1% of the museum’s items are currently on display.
These include the world’s oldest surviving Spitfire plane and the Royal Navy’s LCT 7074, the last surviving landing craft tank from D-Day.
The museum will discuss plans with visitors, access and youth advisory panels, community groups, staff and volunteers to ensure that any new programmes will be suitable for the museum.
As for the Royal Marines Experience in Portsmouth, the £4.4m grant will be awarded to the National Museum of the Royal Navy as it plans to relocate and reopen the museum.
The original Royal Marines Museum closed in 2017, although the new plans will see it open in Boathouse 6 - a Grade II listed building completed in 1848 within Portsmouth Historic Dockyard, home to the Mary Rose Museum and HMS Victory.
The new museum will include an expansive items collection and history display boards, as well as a family-focused Marines-themed Laser Quest arena and a 275-seat auditorium.
Good to know: Victory in Europe (VE) Day is celebrated each year on 8 May to signify Germany's unconditional surrender of its armed forces during World War Two
Eilish McGuinness, National Lottery Heritage Fund CEO, said: “As people across the UK mark the 80th anniversary of Victory in Europe Day, it is evident that the legacy of the Second World War and our armed forces are a key part of our historical narrative.
“Thanks to money raised by National Lottery players, these projects will help new audiences to discover, draw inspiration from and forge connections with the stories of the RAF and Royal Marines, helping to ensure the heritage is valued, cared for and sustained for everyone, now and in the future.”
A few weeks ago, the National Lottery Heritage Fund celebrated its £1bn milestone for Scottish heritage grants.
