West Yorkshire museums to benefit from £20m fund to help them stay open
Sites in Leeds, Bradford and Ilkley are among those to benefit
West Yorkshire museums will benefit from a £20 million fund to ensure they remain open, the Government has announced.
The Museum Renewal Fund will be shared among 75 local and regional museums with the aim of improving and protecting public access to collections, community and educational programmes, opening hours and job opportunities for millions of visitors and local communities.
The grants also aim to strengthen the museums' ability to attract tourists and employers to regions across the country, ensuring they remain fit for the future.
Locally, Leeds Museums and Galleries will get £952,000, Ilkley Manor House Trust will get almost £17,000 and Wakefield Museums & Pontefract Castle will receive over £82,000.
Bradford Museums and Galleries, which runs attractions including Bolling Hall Museum and the Cartwright Hall gallery, will get £125,000.
Museums minister Baroness Fiona 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 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."
According to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport's (DCMS), the fund aims to strengthen the nationwide network of museums and ensure that local communities have access to culture "for generations to come".
It is part of the £270 million Arts Everywhere Fund and the Government's wider Plan For Change to support economic growth and increase opportunities nationwide.
Sir Nicholas Serota, chairman of Arts Council England, said: "Travelling through cities, towns and villages across the UK, I have seen that museums and art galleries are often a proud focal point in communities, telling important stories about history, people and place.
"This funding will provide a crucial lifeline for local museums in stabilising their financial situation and building towards a sustainable future."