Gosport's Diving Museum gets funding boost
It's been awarded more than £800k from the National Lottery
Last updated 30th Jul 2024
A Gosport museum which houses the world's first-ever diving helmet has been awarded more than £800,000 in funding.
The money, from the National Lottery Heritage Fund, will go towards repairs to the Grade II* Diving Museum, housed at No.2 Battery in Stokes Bay Road.
The museum - the only one dedicated to diving in the country - showcases the UK’s deep-sea diving history with a collection of over 7,000 items from the ancient to the modern era.
It is currently closed for renovation work, which is expected to be completed by the middle of 2025.
Gosport is the birthplace of the global deep-sea diving industry, with the world’s first deep-sea dive undertaken by the Deane brothers in 1832, illuminating the new ‘art of diving’ which was soon practised all around the world.
The National Lottery has said the funding will allow for improvement in access and sustainability, whilst enhancing public engagement and visitor experience.
In all, they have awarded £7.6 million to museums across the UK, including one featuring some of the most treasured football shirts in Welsh history and another containing masterpieces of Celtic art.
Eilish McGuinness, Chief Executive of The National Lottery Heritage Fund, said:
"From Aberdeenshire to Cornwall, our latest investment in museums shows the incredible diversity and brilliance of our museums, with collections of local, national and international significance.
"These projects will inspire visitors of all ages, with many of these collections being revealed for the first time, and all will connect people with the individual stories of sport, diving, pottery, archaeology and much more, adding up to a national story covering all the many and varied heritage we have to offer.
"Our investment in the cultural heritage fabric of these museums will inspire people, connect communities, and drive growth, allowing everyone to discover the amazing local heritage in towns across the UK and support our vision for heritage to be valued, cared for and sustained for everyone, now and in the future."