Tiverton Museum of Mid Devon Life has been awarded £64,000 as part of the Government’s £1.57 billion Culture Recovery Fund (CRF) to help face the challenges of the coronavirus pandemic and to ensure they have a sustainable future, the Culture Secretary has announced today.

Tiverton Museum is one of 1,385 cultural and creative organisations across the country receiving urgently needed support. £257 million of investment has been announced today as part of the very first round of the Culture Recovery Fund grants programme being administered by Arts Council England. Further rounds of funding in the cultural and heritage sector are due to be announced over the coming weeks.

Tiverton Museum has been collecting and sharing the heritage of Mid Devon for 60 years. The museum welcomes a high number of visitors from the local community, including many families who enjoy the museum’s holiday activities. The museum also offers an important learning service for local schools, and (before Covid-19) ran a successful reminiscence service for local care and residential homes.

Temporary closure for nearly six months has had a severe impact on the museum as it was unable to generate crucial income. This funding provides a lifeline for the museum over the coming months and will enable the museum to continue to share local heritage and stories. The museum is open Thursdays to Saturdays with priority to pre-booked tickets (and open extra days for half term).

Pippa Griffith, Director at Tiverton Museum of Mid Devon Life:

“We are thrilled to have been awarded this grant. Temporary closure meant that we have lost a significant portion of our income this year, and even though the museum has re-opened we are unable to earn the same level of income as we did pre Covid. This, and the fact that we have limited cash reserves, created an extreme challenge for us to meet. The Culture Recovery Fund grant is transformative; providing time for us to review our new situation, revise our plans and consider how we can successfully deliver our services, whilst earning crucial income to keep afloat.”