Department for Culture, Media and Sport
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Ben Bradshaw announces £250,000 funding for improvements and development of world-famous Bletchley Park museum
Culture Secretary Ben Bradshaw today announced £250,000 funding for Bletchley Park museum. Located on the site of the secret British WWII code-breaking HQ, the museum will use the money to help maintain and repair buildings, and enhance the experience for the 100,000 people who now visit each year.
The grant will allow Bletchley Park Trust to join a partnership with English Heritage and Milton Keynes Council to fund an urgent repair programme within the conservation area. Other projects to benefit from the funding will include:
* A replacement for the roof on Block A which currently has leaks in several places;
* New IT equipment to replace the ageing equipment currently in use; and
* Resurfacing of roads and the car park for visitors.
The grant announced today comes about from the reallocation of under-spends elsewhere in the DCMS budget for 2009-2010.
Speaking today during a visit to Bletchley Park, Ben Bradshaw said:
“The work carried out at Bletchley Park had a huge impact on the course of the war, and the museum does a brilliant job in bringing this alive for people of all ages. But, having doubled its visitor numbers over the last three years, it urgently needs funds to keep it in good condition. I am delighted to announce this grant which will help renovate the buildings and ensure that future visitors enjoy a really high quality experience when they come here.”
Simon Greenish, CEO of the Bletchley Park Trust, welcomed today's announcement, saying:
"This enormously-appreciated funding boost will not only enable vital repair and maintenance of this WW2 site for the benefit of our rapidly growing number of visitors, but it also represents endorsement by the DCMS that Bletchley Park is a place of national importance which deserves Government support.”
Contacts:
DCMS Press Enquiries and Out of hours telephone pager
Phone:
020 7211 6263
Mobile: 07699 751153
NDS.DCMS@coi.gsi.gov.uk
Toby Sargent.
Phone: 020 72116276
toby.sargent@culture.gsi.gov.uk
