National Museums at Chatham Project Forges Ahead

The creation of a new centre for world-class collections at The Historic Dockyard Chatham - National Museums at Chatham - is now set to forge ahead following the release of funds totalling £7m from the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) and the South East England Development Agency (SEEDA).

Confirmation of the £4.97m from HLF together with the pledged support of £2.0m by SEEDA follows the agreement announced last September and enables the Trust to commence work on the project.

National Museums at Chatham is an unprecedented partnership between Chatham Historic Dockyard Trust and two national museums - the Imperial War Museum and the National Maritime Museum - which has already attracted the patronage of HRH The Prince of Wales. The new facility will hugely improve public access to internationally pre-eminent museum collections of maritime models with enhanced facilities for research and education as well as interpreting these and other collections in dynamic and thematic displays. It will provide a sustainable re-use for the early 19th Century No. 1 Smithery at The Historic Dockyard Chatham, a Scheduled Ancient Monument and Grade II* listed building.

The touring gallery will provide a much needed regional venue for world-class touring exhibitions from many sources, with the widest themes. It will provide a unique and much needed cultural facility in South-East England outside of London and will significantly strengthen opportunities for access and learning.

The announcement comes as the Emergency Stabilisation Works (ESW), a separate project funded by Medway Council, the Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG) and English Heritage, draws to a close. Structural repairs to the historic fabric are now complete and the reinstatement of the roof covering symbolises the completion of work to save the building for future generations. Securing the re-use of No. 1 Smithery for National Museums at Chatham will transform the cultural landscape of Medway and Thames Gateway Kent and complete the physical regeneration of the Dockyard.

Sheena Vick, Heritage Lottery Fund Regional Manager for the South East of England, said: "It's now all systems go for Number 1 Smithery's plans thanks to this substantial Heritage Lottery Fund investment. The Historic Dockyard Chatham already attracts thousands of visitors every year but this final piece of the jigsaw will enable it to realise its full vision for the site. This grant brings our overall support for the UK's maritime heritage to more than £70million, demonstrating our ongoing commitment to sharing the nation's fascinating seafaring history with as many people as possible."

Jonathan Sadler, Project Director, SEEDA said: "National Museums at Chatham will be a catalyst for cultural and economic regeneration in Medway and the Thames Gateway, adding immense value and national museum brand values to the tourism offer and attracting local, regional and national audiences to The Historic Dockyard, located at the heart of the Thames Gateway regeneration area."

Learning is at the heart of all that happens at The Historic Dockyard and National Museums at Chatham will add huge capacity and diversity to the existing education offer. The new centre will add an exciting new dimension to The Historic Dockyard attractions by brining important national collections to Medway and the Thames Gateway to provide a focus for formal and informal access and learning opportunities for people of all ages and backgrounds.

Admiral Sir Ian Garnett, Chairman of Chatham Historic Dockyard Trust was jubilant on hearing the announcement and said "The confirmation that HLF and SEEDA have confirmed their grant and are releasing the funds is wonderful news. It allows us to really move forward with the detailed designs for the project. A funding gap of £3.3m does still remain to meet the £14m total costs of making National Museums at Chatham a reality. A strong fundraising strategy is in place, strongly supported by our national museum partners, and the confirmation by HLF and SEEDA of their funding allows us to start our campaign to raise this £3.3m in earnest."

Sir Robert Crawford, Director-General of the Imperial War Museum said "We are delighted with the successful culmination of five years of intensive work with our project partners, The Historic Dockyard Chatham and the National Maritime Museum. This project demonstrates how national and regional museums can work in innovative ways with communities to transform access to major collections and learning facilities. It will be a major achievement to have transformed an almost ruinous historic building into an urgently needed, major new museum facility in the heart of the rapidly growing Thames Gateway area. We look forward to working with our partners in delivering this major new facility in the heart of historic Chatham."

Margarette Lincoln, Acting Director, National Maritime Museum said; "The National Maritime Museum is thrilled that the HLF has confirmed funding for this innovative partnership project which will deliver national collections to regional audiences. The new galleries and learning facilities will enhance public access to important collections. The project will play an important part in creating a cultural heart for Medway and The Thames Gateway region, and the future of a significant historic building will be assured. Access to collections is key to the ethos of all museums. Through this imaginative partnership, generations of visitors, users and researchers will be able to appreciate internationally significant collections of maritime models and related material for the first time. We look forward to working with our partners to deliver this exciting project in 2010".

The opening in 2010 will provide a key focus for the Cultural Olympiad and coincide with plans to inaugurate The Historic Dockyard and its surrounding defences as a World Heritage Site the same year.

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Press release - Chatham Historic Dockyard 26 June 2007

For further press information on the project, please contact Anthony Morse on 01634 823812 or email [email protected]

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