Royal Marines Museum funding blow leaves a £5m black hole

THE decision of the Heritage Lottery fund has left funding plans for the new museum in tatters, with an immediate need to raise £5m.
By The Newsroom
Published 12th Sep 2018, 12:54 BST
Updated 12th Sep 2018, 12:58 BST
Dominic Tweddle, head of the NMRN,Dominic Tweddle, head of the NMRN,
Dominic Tweddle, head of the NMRN,

Since the decision, the board of trustees at the NMRN has been attempting to piece together a contingency plan, which includes a re-think of both costs and design of the future attraction.

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Royal Marines Museum dealt '˜disastrous' blow as £12.9m funding is axed

They have already managed to cut the total cost to about £10m and secured £3m of this so far, with the sale of former Eastney site hoping to generate a further £2m.

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But it means there is still a £5m black hole that the NMRN is desperate for the public and Royal Marines family to help them fill in order to make the project a reality.

Professor Dominic Tweddle, NMRN director general, said: '˜Now is the time for us all to lobby hard on the need for the Royal Marines to have a museum that is worthy of its 354-year and unique history that recalls the sacrifice and service of the countless thousands of Royal Marines who have supported the nation through the darkest times.

'˜The message is simple; we have £5m and need £5m more to open the new museum.'

He added all the '˜bleak reasons' why the museum had to move from Eastney hadn't changed, saying the site was still '˜in the wrong place' and the building was '˜unadaptable, leaks and is in a poor condition' which put the collection at risk of being damaged if it remained.

The final events to take place at the former Eastney base of the museum will take place place in November.

Related topics:Eastney