The Armitt Library and Museum is delighted to announce the award of £238,098 from The Museum Estate and Development Fund (MEND) to support improvements and upgrades to its building and facilities.

The Armitt is one of 17 cultural venues, museums, and libraries to receive a share of £16.9 million across the North West in improving access to arts and culture, administered and delivered by Arts Council England on behalf of the Department for Culture, Media and Sport.

Based in Ambleside in Cumbria, The Armitt will use the funding to undertake essential work to upgrade the heating, ventilation and air conditioning system. This will allow visitors to continue to enjoy its collection of over 70,000 Lake District objects and artefacts, including Beatrix Potter’s fungi watercolours, paintings by the avant-garde artist Kurt Schwitters, material related to the educational pioneer Charlotte Mason, and archaeology from the Ambleside Roman Fort.

Culture Secretary, Lisa Nandy, said: “I want everyone, everywhere to feel a sense of pride about where they come from. Cultural organisations across the North West are important custodians of local identity and play a key role in the story we tell ourselves as a nation.

“Our Arts Everywhere Fund is delivering on our commitment to support cultural assets across the country, increasing access and preserving them for future generations. This is demonstrated by grants announced today that will benefit seventeen culture venues, museums, and library services across the North West.

“Arts and culture are the beating hearts of our communities; they have the power to unite us in the face of division and break down barriers to opportunity. We want to harness the power to help us build a brighter future for the people of the North West.”

Rebecca Ball, Area Director, North, Arts Council England, said: “Our museums, libraries and arts organisations have the power to change lives, they give us access to new worlds, teach us about our heritage and give us new perspectives on life. I’m so pleased that we’ll be supporting so many of our cultural organisations in the North with this capital investment, which will ensure that they can continue to deliver incredible arts and culture to their communities.”

Faye Morrissey, Manager & Curator of The Armitt, said: “This funding will make a huge difference to The Armitt. Not only will it help improve and manage the care of objects in our custodianship, but it will allow us to develop stronger relationships with other national organisations and lenders for future exhibitions. In addition, the new system will be constructed with sustainability and environmental considerations at its heart, building upon our other carbon footprint work, helping to futureproof the organisation into the years ahead.”

In total, 130 organisations across the country are receiving a share of funding, marking the first projects receiving cash from the government’s Arts Everywhere Fund. The Armitt is the only Cumbria-based organisation to receive MEND funding in this round, with Octopus Collective in Barrow being the second recipient, but through the Creative Foundations Fund.