Hereford and South Herefordshire MP Jesse Norman expressed his delight and gratitude at the announcement, hailing the development as a massive uplift for the region’s arts, heritage, tourism, and cultural scene.
“This is wonderful news,” commented Mr Norman. He added: “I am especially excited that it will create a permanent new home for the Herefordshire Hoard, a collection with immense historical and cultural significance.”
Mr Norman conveyed hearty thanks to the National Lottery Heritage Fund for their generous support, which is set to catalyse the development of the new Herefordshire Museum and Gallery, benefitting Hereford, county towns, and the Marches.
The funding may facilitate long-term loans from some of the UK’s eminent national collections.
The grant is the latest in a series of funding boosts for the county. In addition to the £5 million grant, Herefordshire has recently received £22 million from the Stronger Towns Fund and nearly £20 million from the Levelling Up Fund.
“With these funds, we are continuing to make significant progress in securing long-term investment in our county,” said Jesse Norman.