Lowestoft Maritime Museum
We here at Newsons are pleased that the Lowestoft museum has been awarded this much needed funding.
Press Release
WAVE OF LOTTERY CASH FOR LOWESTOFT MARITIME MUSEUM
The Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) has awarded a grant of £345,000 to Lowestoft & East Suffolk Maritime Museum for a major renovation and extension programme. This is Britain's most Easterly Museum, and it is run and managed entirely by volunteers.
The award will enable the museum to be extended, providing a much needed education room and creating more facilities for schools, Sure Start and other community groups.
The project will significantly improve the care of the museums collections and reveal the wealth of stories represented through modernised displays and interpretation. It will draw on the rich collections of ship models, fishing and ship artefacts, paintings, photographs and related collections information. Key stories that will be highlighted include how the fishing industry created the town of Lowestoft.
It will also inspire more visitors to use our collections, explore the museum and become regular visitors. Flexible learning space will be available, encouraging a wide range of groups to delve into the collections through an education room that will be used by a range of groups.
As the maritime industries of Lowestoft have declined our collections have increased. This project will help to improve the care of the collections by giving them the space to help us monitor them effectively, and undertake a small amount of conservation work and training. By regrouping and redisplaying the collections, the stories connected to them will be opened up to potential researchers and students.
The building work will start late July 2007 and the whole project completed by December 2008.
Commenting on the award, Colin Dixon, Vice Chairman from the Museum said "This is just what we've been waiting for, a chance to move forward, but still keep the maritime history alive and encourage the community to get involved".
Robyn Llewellyn, Heritage Lottery Fund Manager in the East of England added; 'This work will significantly improve the museum's collections and reveal a wealth of stories captured in the huge variety of objects on display. The fishing industry has been at the heart of the town for centuries and the rejuvenated Maritime Museum will unveil that rich past for everyone to learn about.'
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For further information please contact Mr. Peter Parker, Chairman. Lowestoft Maritime Museum. Telephone 01502-511260.
Monday 2nd July 2007
