The Whitaker Museum and Art Gallery has been awarded nearly £250,000.

The Rossendale museum and gallery has been given £249,985 from The National Lottery Heritage Fund to 'support longer-term financial resilience.'

The grant will be used to help the museum's workforce, to increase its educational offering, and to improve the charity's financial forecast with new income streams.

The application also mentioned plans for a feasibility study and design of a new accommodation wing to provide overnight stays for visitors and artist studios for creative work.

Creative Director, Gaynor Seville, said: "This new sustainability funding from The National Lottery Heritage Fund has come at a crucial time for us.

"Providing a nationally respected, free-to-enter museum and art gallery with the wide-ranging programme we have, takes a huge amount of effort and cost.

"This funding will help us to be strategic and plan ahead for a successful and financially secure future.

"We are extremely grateful to National Lottery players for this support, and it is a wonderful acknowledgement of the high quality of our offer and the wonderful work of our staff and volunteer team."

Chair of the board for The Whitaker Museum and Art Gallery, Iain Taylor, said: "We have ambitious plans and ideas to expand on the already fantastic Whitaker Museum and Art Gallery – this funding will help strengthen our team and help us develop these ideas.

"It’s not an easy time for venues at the moment, but this support keeps us moving forward and aiming high.

"On behalf of the Board, Team and Volunteers, we couldn’t thank the Lottery enough – the support is fantastic."

Since its grand reopening in 2021, the free-to-enter museum and art gallery has 'gone from strength to strength' and is currently nominated as 'the best cultural venue in Lancashire' for the national Lancashire Tourism awards.