THE visitor experience at a Wimborne museum is set to be enhanced, following a National Lottery grant of more than £900,000.

Work will take place at the Priest's House Museum and Garden in the town to improve the frontage, create a new reception, shop and information point, install a lift, update exhibition space and initiate more outreach programmes following the £982,200 grant.

The money is part of the museum's £1.6 million Revival Project which will start this autumn and will be completed by spring 2020. Other works include enhancing the story of the historic townhouse itself by telling the story of the Grade II listed building and the people who have lived in the house and surrounding area, setting up new learning and community programmes and creating new opportunities for volunteers.

The National Lottery funding has been awarded through the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF). The museum has committed more £200,000 of its own reserves and the volunteer fundraising team has been successful in achieving a significant proportion of the partnership funding from charitable foundations including Garfield Weston, the Talbot Village Trust and the Valentine Trust; and local councils East Dorset District Council and Dorset County Council.

The local community and local businesses Bloor Homes, Teacher’s Building Society and Renaissance Homes have also supported the project.

David Morgan, chairman of the Priest's House Museum Trust said: "We are delighted to have received the support of the National Lottery for our Revival Project. The trust is committed to giving the people of East Dorset a museum of which they can be proud, a place which engages with all sectors of the local community as well as the many tourists who visit our beautiful town.

"Thanks to HLF and our very generous supporters, we can ensure that the museum will be enjoyed for generations to come."

Museum director, Emma Ayling, added: “The trust's vision is the one held by its founder, Hilda Coles, who believed that the museum should be: a 'live' museum - a centre of education and culture, continually changing its displays and appealing to children as well as to adults."

The museum now needs to raise a further £80,000 to complete the work. To donate to the appeal, visit priest-house.co.uk/donations.html or visit its MyDonate page: mydonate.bt.com/events/edwardbear/452910.