THE Mercian Regiment Museum and Worcester City Council have received a a £1.4million grant from The National Lottery Heritage Fund to safeguard the county’s Regimental museum collections and secure public access for the future.
The collections of the Mercian Regiment Museum and Worcestershire Yeomanry Museum tell the stories of Worcestershire’s Regular and volunteer infantry and volunteer cavalry from 1694 to the present day and includes many items of national significance, including six Victoria Crosses awarded to the Worcestershire Regiment in the First World War.
The collections are currently in storage, and without this funding from the Heritage Fund they would remain inaccessible to the public.
The project will give the collections a long-term home within four new permanent galleries at The Commandery, a major visitor attraction in Worcester’s heritage quarter.
Brand new displays will showcase highlights of the collections and use personal stories to make them accessible to modern audiences.
The funding will enable critical conservation work to take place and allow unseen treasures to be shared with the public for the first time.
Alongside the galleries, a programme of linked activities will provide new ways for the public to get involved through volunteering, learning and events.
This will forge strong links with local communities and engage a new generation with Worcester’s military heritage, setting the Regimental museums up for a sustainable future.
Events will take place throughout the project, keep an eye on the museums’ social media or visit the project webpage for the latest updates.
Dr John Paddock from The Mercian Regiment Museum said: “We are thrilled to have received this support from The National Lottery Heritage Fund.
“Thanks to National Lottery players, access to Worcestershire’s significant military heritage has been secured for the next generation. We look forward to creating a gallery that will better serve our loyal and emerging audiences and will bring to life over 300 years of soldiering for the modern visitor.”
Jonathan Astley, Chair of the Worcestershire Yeomanry Museum Trust, said: “I am delighted that the funding has been granted, as The Commandery will be a perfect home for the collections, adding to the Civil War heritage already displayed there and allowing people’s service and sacrifice to continue to be remembered”.
Coun Adrian Gregson, Chair of the Joint Museums committee and Worcester City Council’s heritage champion, said: “Thousands of people from Worcester and Worcestershire have served in the armed forces and it’s important that their service, sacrifice and heritage is honoured for future generations to understand and reflect on.
“The funding from The National Lottery Heritage Fund is an absolutely essential contribution to creating the Worcestershire Soldier gallery at The Commandery, which I’m confident will attract visitors for decades to come.”
