A museum in Bromsgrove has been awarded funds allowing it to reopen in the summer.

Avoncroft Museum has been granted £92,000 in the second round of the Government and Arts Council England’s Culture Recovery Fund.

The investment will allow the museum to pay for some urgent repairs and open its doors to the public in the early summer.

The attraction, which opened in 1967, usually relies on public admissions and donations to cover conservation and staff costs, along with profits from the tearoom and shop.

Michael Woolley, chair of Trustees at Avoncroft Museum, said: “After a very difficult twelve months because of the Covid-19 pandemic, it is very exciting news that the museum has been awarded a further grant of £92, 000 from the Culture Recovery Fund. This will make a major contribution towards being able to re-open the museum safely when Government restrictions allow and to undertake some of the repairs to the buildings necessitated by the museum being closed for such a long time. The future is looking much brighter today as a result of this grant.”

The museum was England’s first open-air museum and shows midlands life from the 1500s to the present day through a collection of buildings and artefacts.

Zoe Willems, director at Avoncroft Museum, said: “I’m delighted that we’ve been successful in this bid for recovery funding. It’s a real boost for the museum, a vote of confidence in our future. With it we can press ahead with our plans for reopening and we’re all looking forward to sharing the stories of our Midlands heritage with visitors once again and playing an active and vibrant part in our local community.”

Avoncroft Museum is currently closed to the public whilst it is prepared for reopening, with a reopening date expected soon.