Malton Museum awarded £50,000 grant in bid to find permanent home

The money will be used to commission consultants to undertake a feasibility study for a new home for the museum, which was was founded almost 90 years ago but has never had a permanent home.

It is currently located in the town’s Milton Rooms but the space limits the museum’s displays and its ability to welcome more visitors.

Malton has a number of popular attractions including the biannual food festival, the recently upgraded Milton Rooms and the refurbished Wesley Centre as well as the Woodhams Stone Collection, in Norton.

The museum hopes a new home will allow it to add even more quality and choice to the town’s existing visitor offer.

Museum chairman Phil Crabtree said: “We want to tell people more about Malton’s long and unique history, from the Roman times to the prosperity of the Georgian years and our longstanding relationships with the Fitzwilliam family and the horse racing industry.

“We are keen to involve more local residents and businesses in the museum’s activities and make a greater contribution to Malton’s visitor economy.

"We also want to be able to display more of our fantastic collections and host more visits to the museum by school and community groups.”

The cash has been made available from the UK Shared Prosperity Fund, administered by North Yorkshire Council.

The council’s leader, Cllr Carl Les, said: “Malton Museum is a perfect example of the type of project the UK Shared Prosperity Fund is there to support.

“The money is being used to increase people’s pride in their local town centres and allow them engage more with culture and their community.

“This funding for Malton Museum will help to allow a much-loved and widely used community attraction to grow and secure its future for many years to come, benefiting both residents and the visitor economy.”

MP Kevin Hollinrake added: “This funding is hugely welcome and incredibly well deserved.

"Malton Museum undertakes extensive outreach in our community to showcase the rich history of the area - it’s crucial that the nationally significant collection of artefacts are available for generations to come.”

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