Arts Council England’s Capital Investment Programme

We’re thrilled to have been awarded £400,000 towards Mail Rail accessibility improvements.

Mail Rail train on tunnel moving towards the camera. The train is green with a glass ceiling and a strong light at the front.

We’re pleased to share that The Postal Museum will benefit from a share of £24.2 million through Arts Council England’s Capital Investment Programme. Awards from Arts Council England’s Capital Investment Programme go towards building works and the purchase of equipment and other assets to improve access, seize on technological opportunities and reduce environmental impact.

The museum will receive £400,000 from Arts Council England, thanks to its Government-funded Capital Investment Programme, as announced today.

Capital Investment will be used to improve the accessibility of the Mail Rail ride for disabled visitors, and anyone unable to ride, and support the museum’s environmental sustainability goals. Further details of the project will be shared later this year.

Darren Henley, Chief Executive, Arts Council England said:

This infrastructure investment will help a whole range of different cultural organisations across England to flourish, increasing opportunities for people to enjoy creatively excellent cultural events close to where they live. It’s particularly important that we’re making this happen in communities where cultural investment has historically been low.

 

Laura Wright, CEO, The Postal Museum said:

We’ve long wanted to improve the accessibility of Mail Rail for a much wider audience, particularly for those who are unable to ride our unique underground experience. We’re thrilled that this funding will support our ambitions and we look forward to sharing more details of this exciting project in the summer.

 

Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay, Minister for Arts, Heritage and Libraries said:

Cultural venues enrich our lives, and it’s vital that their infrastructure matches the excellence of the creative work that goes on inside them.

Our funding is helping both to create new venues and to adapt existing ones to make them more accessible, helping to deliver the Government’s plan to make sure that everyone, no matter where they live or what their background, has access to excellent, life-changing cultural opportunities.

 

Lord Parkinson and Laura Wright at The Postal Museum

Lord Parkinson and CEO Laura Wright at The Postal Museum