National Holocaust Centre and Museum secures £97,100 grant

The National Holocaust Centre and Museum has just received a £97,100 grant over plans to refresh existing exhibitions and create new gallery spaces.

Based near Newark in Nottinghamshire, it is the only centre dedicated to Holocaust remembrance and education in the UK.

One of the exhibitions at the centre, called The Journey, involves seven rooms, each one telling a different aspect of the life of 10-year-old Leo, a fictional Kindertransport who fled Berlin in the 1930s.

The grant, which comes from The National Lottery Heritage Fund, could help bring it to life in a larger space, with learning programmes for diverse audiences. 

The grant would also pay for a production suite to collect and digitise additional survivor testimony.

“This is a big statement from the Heritage Fund and strengthens the intention of helping millions of young people to learn from our recent history,” said Phil Lyons, chief executive of the centre. 

He added: “Through innovative thinking and new facilities, the centre will challenge today’s communities to reject hatred, embrace compassion and live in a safer and fairer world.”

This first round of funding will pay for the detailed development of the centre’s plans.

The centre will have an opportunity to secure the full £800,000 grant in the next round of funding, which if successful would finance the project.