Relief for museum as funding saves it from closure

Glassblowing demonstrations take place at the venue which opened in 2000

Staff and volunteers at a Merseyside museum are breathing a sigh of relief after receiving the funding needed to save it from closure.

The World Of Glass in St Helens, which explores the town's glass manufacturing history, has received £286,000 from the new Museum Renewal Fund.

Director at World of Glass Sarah Taylor said it was a "huge relief" after fears the museum, on Chalon Way East, would have to shut over rising costs.

She said the money meant the museum can now "thrive".

Museum director Sarah Taylor said the money would help the museum thrive

"We're not going to have to worry about closing the doors in three months or six months like we have been doing," she said.

The museum, which first opened in 2000, underwent a major refurbishment in 2023, but by the following July it was feared it could close due to rising energy and staff costs.

"We had to stop education visits temporarily because we just couldn't afford to do anything beyond the day-to-day.

"Now we can really do the things that we should be doing and really helping the community and ourselves thrive," Ms Taylor said.

Museums Minister, Baroness Twycross said: "Museums offer a place where people from all backgrounds can learn, be inspired and delve into our rich history, helping to understand the stories that led us to where we are today.

"The Museum Renewal Fund is contributing to the delivery of our Plan for Change. It ensures much-loved civic museums across the North West can remain open and continue to provide opportunities for future generations to learn about our shared heritage and how their local community has played its part in our national story."

The venue has drawn more than a million visitors since opening in 2000

Rebecca Ball, north area director at Arts Council England, said museums "play a vital role in bringing our communities together".

"A trip to a museum is often one of our first experiences of culture, especially those run with the support of local authority funding," she said.

"Museums offer us the opportunity to connect with the past, with the people who came before us and the heritage of places we live, work and visit. They help us to understand who we are."

Other museums in the North West to benefit from the Museum Renewal Fund include The People's History Museum in Manchester and Lancaster City Museum.

The People's History Museum will receive £652,157 to help revitalise public programmes, improve user experience, and engage families across Manchester with their local heritage.

Lancaster City Museum is set to receive £40,500 of funding for redevelopment. It is home to rare Anglo-Saxon and Roman archaeological survivors, and the local regimental history.