People across the country set to benefit from £4 million boost to improve accessibility and increase access to arts and culture
Source: gov.uk (2025-09-04)

Funding available to support regional museums and galleries to ensure collections are more accessible to the public

- Applications are open for a share of £4 million through a partnership between charity the Wolfson Foundation and DCMS
- The partnership will boost people’s access to art and culture, delivering on both the government’s Plan for Change to increase opportunities for all and the Wolfson Foundation’s charitable objectives
People across the country will soon benefit from a £4 million boost for regional museums and galleries through the joint DCMS/Wolfson Museums and Galleries Improvement Fund. This is part of the Government’s ongoing commitment to ensure everyone, everywhere has access to arts and culture in the place they call home.

The £4 million DCMS/Wolfson Museums and Galleries Improvement Fund is made up of £2 million in match funding and provides support to local people by improving displays, enhancing collections care and making exhibitions more accessible to visitors. Over the last 20 years, more than 440 projects have benefitted from over £50 million in funding.

This new round of funding will deliver on both the Government’s Plan for Change by breaking down barriers to opportunity and the new Strategic Framework for the Wolfson Foundation, ensuring that collections are more accessible to the public, whether that be through investment in gallery spaces, accessibility measures and collection care.

In the previous round of funding, organisations including People’s History Museum in Manchester received over £200,000 for their Welcome Project, which focused on key improvements to the building as identified in an independent access audit. In line with the museum’s commitment to improving access for all, the project installed a new accessible front door, full toilet renovation including installation of a changing places facility, accessible furniture and updated all signage around the museum.

The Food Museum in Suffolk received more than £89,000 in funding for the Abbot’s Hall estate and its listed gardens, which feature a canal with an early 18th-century fishing lodge. The lodge had been inaccessible to visitors since the 1990s due to the deteriorating condition of the access bridge. With support from the DCMS/Wolfson Museums and Galleries Improvement Fund, the museum built a new bridge that allows visitors to access the island.

Experience Barnsley Museum used over £37,000 of funding from the previous round for their Chamber of Treasures project, which transformed an underused space in the permanent main gallery with new displays and interpretation of social history collections created with Barnsley’s communities. The project improved access and interpretation for people with disabilities to enhance visitor experiences, whilst improving care of the collection.

Arts Minister Sir Chris Bryant said:

We want everyone, everywhere to be able to enjoy culture and the arts – and this fund helps us achieve that mission.

It is a great example of combining public funding with private philanthropy to help deliver on our Plan for Change by ensuring that people who may find accessing museums and galleries difficult have the opportunity to enjoy the incredible collections we have on offer in this country.

Paul Ramsbottom, Chief Executive of the Wolfson Foundation, said:

Museums and galleries play a vital role in deepening our understanding of the past and our shared culture. For over twenty years we have worked with DCMS to support museums and galleries as they improve access and enable more visitors to discover, understand and enjoy our country’s remarkable collections. We’re delighted to continue our partnership with this new round of funding.

From today (Friday 5 September), the fund is open for applications until Friday 14 November.

Notes to editors:

Full guidance, including eligibility criteria and details of how to apply can be found on GOV.UK (https://www.gov.uk/guidance/dcmswolfson-museums-and-galleries-improvement-fund-2025-27).

About DCMS/Wolfson Museums and Galleries Improvement Fund

The DCMS/Wolfson Museums and Galleries Improvement Fund provides capital funding for museums and galleries across England to improve displays, protect collections and make exhibitions more accessible to visitors. For 2025-27, DCMS and the Wolfson Foundation have each contributed £2 million to the Fund, which has benefitted more than 440 projects in its more than 20-year history.

About the Wolfson Foundation

The Wolfson Foundation (http://www.wolfson.org.uk/) is an independent grant-making charity with a focus on research and education. Its aim is to contribute to civil society by supporting high-quality projects in science, health, heritage, humanities and the arts.

Since it was established in 1955, the Wolfson Foundation has awarded some £1 billion (£2 billion in real terms) to more than 14,000 projects throughout the UK, all on the basis of expert review.