Durham council secures £1.2m funding to support new history centre

A County Durham council has announced that it has secured a £1.2m grant for a project to support the area’s new history centre.

Durham County Council has secured £1.2m of funding from the National Lottery Heritage Fund to deliver a five-year programme of activities and exhibitions linked to the county’s new history centre.

Construction on the centre is now underway at the outskirts of the city, and is due to open in 2023.

The funding will also support a digital offer, including a new dedicated history centre website.

Amanda Hopgood, leader of Durham County Council, commented: “We are absolutely delighted to receive this grant from The National Lottery Heritage Fund.

“This money will allow us to deliver a programme of exhibitions and engagement activities that will bring the stories of County Durham to life, encouraging residents of all ages to discover more about their ancestors and the people and events that shaped our communities.

“It is incredibly important to us that the history centre and the collections it houses are accessible to all and so it means a great deal to receive such glowing praise from the committee.”

Elizabeth Scott, the council’s cabinet member for economy and partnerships, said: “The history centre will act as a valuable heritage hub for all of County Durham, but we know that we also need to reach out to our communities if we want to promote long-term engagement.

“By staging temporary and touring exhibitions, linking up with schools, digitising our collections and hosting fascinating talks and workshops, we can showcase County Durham’s treasures to a far greater audience.

“I would like to thank The National Lottery Heritage Fund for their support, which will help us to turn this vision into a reality.”

David Renwick, director, North of England, at The National Lottery Heritage Fund, added: “It is fantastic news that thanks to the National Lottery players, we have been able to support Durham County Council to ensure that the county records are preserved for years to come, and will be made widely accessible through engagement activities and digitisation.

“This means that local communities and visitors can learn more about Durham’s people, history and heritage.

“We know that heritage in the North can play a huge role in bringing people together and creating a sense of pride in people’s hometowns and regions, in turn boosting the local economy, and the Durham history centre is a fantastic example of that.”