Royal Air Force and Royal Marines heritage awarded £13.7m National Lottery funding

Today, Thursday 8 May, The National Lottery Heritage Fund announces funding of £13.7m for plans to transform the RAF Museum Midlands in Cosford and to transform a historic boathouse and create a Royal Marines Experience at Portsmouth Historic Dockyard.

The news comes on the 80th anniversary of Victory in Europe Day, which will see events take place across the UK to commemorate those who served in the Second World War and remember how the UK marked the moment in 1945.

Royal Air Force and Royal Marines personnel played essential roles during the Second World War demonstrating extreme bravery and sacrifice as they helped deliver Allied victory. Objects and stories from the period form a key part of the two museums’ collections and displays.

The RAF Museum Midlands is home to the world’s oldest Spitfire and exhibitions exploring the Battle of Britain and Bomber Command. The National Museum of the Royal Navy’ D-Day Museum is the guardian of LCT 7074, the last surviving landing craft tank from D-Day, just one of the many sea-based operations the Royal Marines were involved in during the Second World War.

Today’s National Lottery investment will support plans to transform how the RAF’s 100+ year story is shared and to create a display telling the 360-year story of the Royal Marines.

Eilish McGuinness, Chief Executive, The National Lottery Heritage Fund, said:  

As people across the UK mark the 80th anniversary of Victory in Europe Day, it is evident that the legacy of the Second World War and our armed forces are a key part of our historical narrative.

Thanks to money raised by National Lottery players, we are delighted to help safeguard and share the heritage of the Royal Air Force and Royal Marines for people to learn from for generations to come.

The funding will unlock the doors to hidden collections, explore new perspectives on the history and future of the RAF and Royal Marines and create fantastic opportunities for people and tourism in Cosford, Gosport and beyond.

Crucially, these projects will help new audiences to discover, draw inspiration from and forge connections with the stories of the RAF and Royal Marines, helping to ensure the heritage is valued, cared for and sustained for everyone, now and in the future.

The Royal Air Force Museum Midlands has been awarded £9,286,778 by the Heritage Fund for its Inspiring Everyone: RAF Museum Midlands Development Programme.

The Museum is working with visitors, Access and Youth Advisory Panels, community groups, staff and volunteers to transform its spaces and visitor experience.

The RAF Museum is the guardian of a national collection that spans over a century of RAF history, capturing every aspect of RAF life.  Yet, today, less than 1% of this inspiring heritage is accessible to the public. A new Collections Hub at the Museum’s Midlands site will unlock the doors to stored objects for the first time, enabling public access to artefacts of regional, national and international importance.

During the Second World War, RAF Cosford played a vital role in training engineers and delivering Spitfires built in the Midlands. The National Lottery supported programme will redevelop a 1930s hangar as a new exhibition and Learning Centre, continuing this legacy of skills building, with a focus on STEM, geography, art and design.

A new exhibition will explore the critical role of the Royal Air Force since 1980.  Visitors will discover how the RAF’s mission continues today and imagine how the service will adapt in the future as it delivers 24/7 Air, Land, Maritime, Space and Cyber defence.

The transformation extends beyond the buildings. A new public realm will provide spaces for outdoor events, learning, rest and relaxation. A three-year multi-strand Engagement Programme will offer activities onsite, offsite and online.

It is estimated that 20 million people in the UK have direct connections with the RAF. This project will protect that heritage and enable future generations to explore and draw inspiration from the remarkable RAF story.

Maggie Appleton, CEO of the Royal Air Force Museum, said:

Warm thanks on behalf of all our team to The National Lottery Heritage Fund and to all National Lottery players. This very generous support will enable us to engage with our communities and wider partners to care for and share our collections and their fascinating stories in new, ambitious and creative ways.

We look forward to welcoming visitors to the RAF Museum Midlands on Saturday 31 May to celebrate the project launch and find out how to get involved in a packed day of activity with a special Battle of Britain Memorial Flight flypast.

To find out more about the Inspiring Everyone: RAF Museum Midlands Development Programme and how you can get involved, visit rafmuseum.org/midlands. 
 

Sir Richard Knighton KCB ADC FREng, Chief of the Air Staff, said:

Development of the Museum’s Midlands site is strategically important to the Royal Air Force. The opportunities to improve our STEM outreach together, improve our exposure in a very diverse community, and improve how we tell the compelling story of our recent history are vitally important. The Royal Air Force is therefore delighted to support this development.
 

The National Museum of the Royal Navy has been awarded £4.4m to for its plans to establish The Royal Marines Experience Museum in Portsmouth.

The Royal Marines are the nation’s elite amphibious force who deploy at sea and on land, around the globe, in peace and in war. The new display will take visitors on a compelling journey through four centuries of Royal Marines history - from the creation of its forerunner in 1664 to today.

The amazing objects, exhibitions, galleries and hands-on experiences will inspire by showcasing remarkable personal stories, immense teamwork and qualities of resilience that can help us all navigate today’s complex and often demanding world. 

Visitors will be able to follow the story across the ground floor of Boathouse 6, choosing to explore through an active immersive route and / or through an object rich multi-media exploration of the history of the Corps. The intention is that the story of the Royal Marines will be told in a truly active and engaging way, enabling visitors not only to learn about who the Royal Marines are (past and present), but also inviting them to partake in a number of tasks designed to give a taste of the level of physical and mental fitness required to do the job. Displays and their content will draw on examples past and present and will put the Royal Marines ethos at the heart of the story. 

The Boathouse 6 project, which will cost £15million in total, will also house a new dedicated Special Exhibition Gallery and Royal Marines themed Laser Quest. This new extraordinary, compelling and flexible space inside the historic former boathouse and overlooking the Scheduled Monument and Grade II* Listed Mast Pond will measure 400m2 and will be one of the biggest temporary exhibition spaces in the South of England. This will enable the Museum to stage temporary exhibitions that refresh the offer at the Historic Dockyard and can attract new and different audiences, create opportunities for wider partnership working and explore a wide range of arts, culture and heritage narratives.

Admiral Sir Ben Key KCB CBE ADC First Sea Lord and Chief of Naval Staff said in his letter of support for the project: 
 

The Royal Navy places great value on the importance of tradition and preserving our heritage for future generations. The Royal Marines story of daring, duty and sacrifice deserves to be recognised and celebrated. The new museum will showcase what makes a Royal Marine, illustrating their prestigious history from their origins in 1664 to the Commando Force of the next generation. It will also be a place for celebration, commemoration, and reflection in the city of Portsmouth, a place steeped in rich naval history. I am certain that funds allocated to this project will be utilised most effectively to make a positive and lasting contribution to our local community.

Matthew Sheldon CEO of the National Museum of the Royal Navy, said:

This generous support from the National Lottery and its players marks a major milestone in the delivery of an innovative approach to sharing the incredible stories of our service community. It is apt that we make this announcement on VE Day - as we reflect on the contribution of our veteran community 80 years ago. The idea of the ‘Commando’ was born in the dark days of 1940, and has been shaped and re-shaped by the Royal Marines Commandos in the last 80 years. Our project will have a particular focus on this recent history and seek to bring the endeavour, courage and conflict inherent in those stories to life through modern interpretative and digital techniques that enable us to speak to diverse and wide-ranging audiences.