£6m Stafford history centre project moves step closer
A bid for almost £4 million of funding to create a history centre in Stafford has been given the green light to progress to the next stage.
Supporters of the Staffordshire History Centre project had been left disappointed when a bid £3.9 million from the Heritage Lottery Fund was turned down in October 2018.
In May, a revised funding application was submitted – and now the history centre team have been given the go-ahead to proceed to round two of the bidding process.
The project has been given £36,000 of development funding from the National Lottery Heritage Fund, after clearing the first round of the bidding process. The cash will be used to develop the project plans and Staffordshire County Council will apply for the full grant of £3,964,000 at a later date.
The total cost of the project is expected to be £5.9 million and a further £2 million in funding has been raised through grants, donations from local organisations and friends and contributions from volunteers.
The new history centre will enable the county's archives collection to be brought together under one roof, with additional strong rooms, reading areas and research labs. A dedicated exhibition space is also planned, displaying rare archives, books and museum pieces.
Councillor Gill Heath, cabinet member for communities at Staffordshire County Council, said the team were delighted with the opportunity to make a round two application.
She added: “We’re incredibly proud of our fascinating history here in Staffordshire with some amazing collections, and we want to share them and be able to protect them for future generations to enjoy.
“Not only will the new centre create an exciting visitor experience for everyone in Staffordshire but it will transform the way people interact with our services. Our schedule of activities and exhibitions will also allow us to take more of our amazing collections out to local communities and schools which will help get many more people excited about our history.
“Only last month we have been allocated the archives for the Pagets family, Marquesses of Anglesey, which is great news. This is a fascinating collection and includes important medieval manuscripts and the estate papers of the family.”
The next application for funding is due to be submitted in 2020.
