A gallery and a library in Oldham are just some of 10 places across the North West that have been picked to receive a slice of government funding.
More than £6.1 million has been pledged through the government's Cultural Investment Fund to support important upgrades at public libraries and museums across the region.
It is hoped the makeovers will ensure organisations can continue to be assets to their communities and improve their visitor experiences.
Get the latest news delivered straight to your inbox by signing up to The Oldham Times’ morning and evening newsletters as well as our breaking news alerts
Gallery Oldham is set to receive a boost of £287,375 to modernise and create versatile community spaces that meet changing user needs.
As for Oldham's libraries, Oldham's Adaptable Library Project (ALP) will also receive £277,000.
Meanwhile, Bury Art Museum and Sculpture Centre will receive more than £500,000 to repair and renew roof lights, guttering and rainwater pipes, as well as internal repairs to plasterwork.
The works will enable the reopening of some currently closed gallery spaces.
Bramall Hall, near Stockport, will also receive a boost of more than £1.6million.
The hall is one of the best-preserved timber-framed manor houses in England, with rare plaster ceiling and wall painting.
The money will go towards repairing and protecting the historic building's fabric and its collections inside from water ingress.
It will also ensure improved environmental and thermal performance for the building.
All regions of England have received funding, which comes through the Museum Estate and Development Fund and the Libraries Improvement Fund, two parts of the Cultural Investment Fund.
The £20.5 million Libraries Improvement Fund transforms public library services in England by helping them upgrade their buildings and improve digital infrastructure, so they are better placed to respond to the changing ways people are using them.
Local authorities can bid for the money on behalf of their library services.
The £86 million Museum Estate and Development Fund (MEND) helps fund urgent museum maintenance and infrastructure works.
It is open to museums accredited by Arts Council England that are not directly funded by DCMS.
This is the third round of funding, bringing the total amount of investment so far to more than £62 million for 93 museums.
Arts and Heritage Minister Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay said: “The brilliant organisations benefiting from these awards demonstrate the breadth of culture on offer across the North West — from illuminating insights into our Tudor heritage to interactive exhibits to inspire the next generation of scientists.
“This additional funding underlines the Government’s commitment to supporting culture and heritage in every part of the country, and I look forward to seeing how it helps to improve the infrastructure of libraries, museums and galleries across the North West.”
If you have a story, I cover all things Oldham from food reviews and local business news to music and events, pubs, education, crime, property, health, community concerns and much more. Please email me at Olivia.bridge@newsquest.co.uk or send me a message on Twitter @Livbridge with your news.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel