Islington's history will be preserved and made available for future generations thanks to a grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF). The award of £918,000, which was announced on 23 March, will enable Islington Museum to move to a permanent home for the first time.
Cllr Laura Willoughby said: "We are delighted that the Heritage Lottery Fund has enabled this project to go ahead. Islington has a very rich and diverse history and we can now preserve and show off our heritage for current and future generations. Thanks to this grant we will be able to display a wider range of objects and provide more activities for families and young people."
Established in 1988, the Museum, which currently receives over 16,000 visits a year and has 1,300 special objects and artefacts of local interest in its collection, has outgrown its current temporary home next to Islington Town Hall.
The new Museum will be developed at Finsbury Library, which also houses Islington's Local History Centre. It will offer visitors the opportunity to explore the story of Islington and will provide improved exhibition and storage space, interactive exhibits aimed at adults and children, as well as a "Learning Zone" for school visits, under 5s' activities and family history workshops. It is the council's hope that this exciting new facility will attract new visitors from across the borough.
Cllr Terry Stacy, Committee Member of the Heritage Lottery Fund in London added: "This is fantastic news for Islington. The Borough fully deserves a Museum that will get as many people as possible to explore the past on their doorstep, and it is so important to get children and young people learning about where they came from. I'm thrilled that we were able to support a project that will benefit the whole community and very much look forward to seeing the revamped Museum."
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Page Last Updated: 29 July 2008