THE Fusilier Museum in Bury has been awarded more than £70,000 as part of the Government’s £1.57 billion Culture Recovery Fund (CRF) to help face the challenges of the coronavirus pandemic and to ensure they have a sustainable future.

The Fusilier Museum, granted £72,893, is one of 588 cultural and creative organisations across the country receiving urgently needed support – with £76 million of investment.

The museum is home to the collections of The Lancashire Fusiliers and the Royal Regiment of Fusiliers. It documents over 300 years of history and heritage through permanent and temporary exhibitions as well as telling the fascinating stories of the people who have served and continue to service in the Regiments.

Colonel Brian Gorski, Chairman of the museum said that they were "extremely grateful" for the support provided by the fund and that the cash boost had put them in a better financial status ahead of the new year.

He said: “We are extremely grateful to the government and Arts Council England for receiving support through the Culture Recovery Fund. The museum is reliant on income from visitors and private events so the funding will ensure we can get through the next few months and put us in a better financial position to start the New Year.

"We all welcome the news and look forward to welcoming visitors, customers and clients back at some point next year.”

The museum closed its doors to the general public on the 18th March this year and will remain closed until early next year. The closure has meant the museum has lost thousands in terms of income from museum visitors, café customers, school visits and corporate events.

The Chair of Arts Council England, Sir Nicholas Serota, said: “Culture is an essential part of life across the country, helping to support people’s wellbeing through creativity and self-expression, bringing communities together, and fuelling our world class creative industries.

“This latest set of awards from the Culture Recovery Fund builds on those announced recently and will help hundreds of organisations to survive the next few months, ensuring that the cultural sector can bounce back after the crisis. We will continue doing everything we can to support artists and cultural and creative organisations, with further funding to be announced in the coming weeks.”