National Lottery funding boost for museum move

A seaside museum which has been without a permanent residence for six years has received National Lottery funding to support its plans to return home.

Weymouth Museum Trust has been awarded £136,161 in development funding to help prepare a bid for a full grant of more than £2.5m.

For more than 30 years Weymouth Museum was situated in Brewers Quay but had to leave in 2020 while the former brewery underwent redevelopment.

The trust said the money would support its ambitions to return a permanent volunteer-run museum at the site, once the works are completed.

Bob Chedzoy, chair of Weymouth Museum Trust, said: "We can now develop our plans to create a new community museum for Weymouth to bring Weymouth's stories to life for future generations."

The museum's historic collections have been in storage since it closed and it has been operating a limited pop-up shop in St Thomas Street.

The trust said the new facility would provide an accessible community space celebrating Weymouth's maritime heritage, royal connections and cultural history.

It is hoped it will feature new galleries, a learning space, shop, cafe and collection store.

Dorset Council, which has pledged £300,000 towards the delivery phase, welcomed the announcement.

Cabinet member Richard Biggs said the museum would play a key role in preserving local heritage and supporting the wider redevelopment of Brewers Quay and the waterfront area.

The trust said the project will now move into a development phase focused on detailed planning, community engagement and creating new learning opportunities for young people and families.