Museum receives grant of nearly £150k
A museum has welcomed a grant of nearly £150,000 from the government – saying it will help them remain open for many years to come.
The money, from the Community Ownership Fund, has gone to Llangollen Museum.
The £146,580 award has also been welcomed by Clwyd South's Conservative MP, Simon Baynes and the museum.
In a statement the trustees and curators of the museum said the grant would allow for "extensive renovations to keep our museum open for many more years to come".
They said: "The hexadecagon (sixteen-sided) building of special architectural interest, was built over 50 years ago, and had originally been designed as the town's library.
"In 2004 Llangollen Museum moved into the building on Parade Street from its previous home at the former Dr Who exhibition. Since then Llangollen Museum has grown into the establishment that it is today, with the tireless help of local historians, archaeologists, and interested volunteers.
"However, the museum has had some architectural problems over the years, and last year the roof started to leak substantially.
"As a priority we had to move some of the artefacts from the museum, into temporary storage.
"Although we were given clearance to continue opening to the public after some minor and safety repairs to the roof, the condition of the roof continues to deteriorate.
"The grant from the UK Community Ownership Fund, part of the UK Government's Levelling Up Scheme, will form a significant contribution to the project, which will allow us to replace the roof, and purchase the museum from the county council."
Mr Baynes said: “I am delighted that the Conservative Government has awarded the Llangollen Museum £146,580 of funding through the fantastic Community Ownership Fund, securing the long-term future of this vital asset in our community.
“People across Llangollen and Clwyd South will be thrilled to hear our local bid was successful, showing the Conservative Government’s levelling up agenda in action, securing a brighter future for our community.”
Commenting, Levelling Up Secretary, Rt Hon Michael Gove MP said: “Investing in communities improves lives – whether that’s rebuilding a community centre, rescuing historic pubs and theatres or upgrading sports facilities used by families every day.
“These are unique and cherished places, valued by local people of all ages, and we know how much they mean to communities. The Community Ownership Fund is about restoring pride in the places people call home and I’m delighted to be funding these projects”
Minister for Levelling Up, Jacob Young MP added: “We’ve had exceptionally high-quality bids from every part of the UK and I’m delighted we’ll be giving projects up to £2 million each for the first time ever, helping communities feel the full benefits of this transformative fund.
“We know this funding has the power to bring about meaningful change to local people, protecting their community spaces used by so many and our funding of almost £25 million to over 70 of these will help secure their futures.”
