Michael Murray Development Manager – London Heritage Lottery Fund

Collecting Cultures launched £5 million available to MLA sector; Grants between £50,000 - £500,000; Application deadline 2 May HLF has £402.5 million to spend in 2013/14, £375 m in 2014/15 The Black Gardener Garden Museum £60,000

What can weaken museum projects? 1.Under-estimating resources required to develop and complete the project –Development phase too short to achieve ambitious fundraising targets –Insufficient staff resources during development phase. Projects under-estimate time required for project management and fundraising/project oversight – generally two separate roles. –Insufficient contingency for historic building conservation, or insufficient survey work (e.g. Honeywood) 2.Planning for sustainability –How will you encourage people to come back after first visit/first year? –On-going funding (e.g. commitments from local authority, ACE) –Governance issues –Business planning

What can weaken museum projects? 3. Insufficient consultation –Planning permission –EH and amenity societies –Not embedded with wider community, voluntary sector (e.g. volunteer recruitment, partnerships with non-heritage organisations)

What can weaken museum projects? 4. Other issues –Impact of changes in staff on project development and design (e.g. new curator with different ideas on interpretation) –Lack of ambition related to new audiences development, capital or activity programmes –Not considering the wider museum context (e.g. external landscaping) –Unsatisfactory building design –Poor accessibility –Insufficient digital infrastructure and licences –Insufficient information on significance of the collection –Budgeting errors/value for money

How do we assess applications? Heritage importance Need or opportunity Why now / why lottery funding? What outcomes will the project achieve? Value for money Project well planned? Financially realistic? Sustainability

How can the development team help? Provide advice and support before you apply Project enquiry form/ expression of interest forms available on our website

Project enquiry stage – some common themes: Uncertainty about HLF grant process, confusion about timescales Focus on the ‘physical’ and people can be neglected Lack of overall strategy and why this project should happen now Speak to the sector, those who’ve been through a similar process Capacity of the organisation to deliver project, and sustainability in the long term, and being realistic Not reading HLF’s guidance!

Contact Us London Michael Murray Norma Pearson Helen Greer Gillian Goode