Colchester’s Natural History Museum has secured nearly £500,000 in national funding to help protect and preserve the historic building that houses the much‑loved attraction.
The museum has been awarded £499,477 through the Museum Estate and Development (MEND) programme, part of the Department for Culture, Media and Sport’s Cultural Investment Fund, and administered by Arts Council England. The funding will support Colchester City Council to carry out essential repair works to the Grade II‑listed former All Saints Church.
The building has been surrounded by scaffolding since September 2024, after masonry fell from the church tower. Subsequent inspections identified the need for extensive repairs to key areas of the building’s flint exterior, with the overall programme of works expected to cost in the region of £1 million.
The funding announcement follows approval earlier this year to proceed with a programme of essential conservation and repair works, aimed at protecting the structure and ensuring the building can continue to operate safely as a museum.
Although the museum was required to close temporarily while inspections and initial safety works were carried out, it reopened to visitors in autumn 2025, with protective scaffolding remaining in place while plans for longer‑term repairs were developed.
Colchester’s Natural History Museum is a distinctive cultural and educational attraction, focusing on local habitats, wildlife and environments, and helping visitors better understand the natural world close to home through its collections, displays and learning activities.
The repair work complements the Wild About Essex project – a major £5 million initiative to completely reimagine the Natural History Museum for the next generation.
This once‑in‑a‑lifetime transformation will create new exhibitions, hands‑on spaces for families and schools, and a programme focused on nature, climate and community.
With support already secured from national funders, including Art Fund and the National Heritage Lottery Fund, the project will turn the museum into a more vibrant, accessible and future‑ready cultural destination for Colchester.
The MEND funding will help safeguard the building’s future, protect visitors, staff and volunteers, and support the long‑term sustainability of the museum as an important part of Colchester’s cultural offer.
Further details about the repair programme and timescales will be confirmed as plans progress.