RAF Museum secures £650k grant for its Midlands Development Programme

This ambitious project will deliver a major regional engagement programme, alongside a site transformation, including a new immersive exhibition that will explore the critical role of the RAF since 1980 to today, imagining how the service will adapt in the future as it delivers 24/7 Air, Space and Cyber defence

A new Learning Centre co-designed with students and teachers will provide bespoke facilities for lifelong learning programmes in subjects ranging from science, technology, engineering and maths, to geography, art and design.

A new purpose-built Collections Hub will enable the Museum’s stored collection to be brought on site and opened to the public for the first time, providing opportunities for research, conservation, activities, talks and tours.

The complementary development of a new public realm will provide spaces for outdoor activities, rest and relaxation, and picnicking.

The Wolfson Foundation’s £650k grant for the RAF Museum was announced in their latest round of grants. The generous funding from the Wolfson Foundation is a significant contribution to the Museum’s fundraising campaign for the project and will be specifically directed towards the creation of a new Learning Centre.

Maggie Appleton, RAF Museum CEO, said:

"We are deeply grateful to the Wolfson Foundation for their generous £650,000 investment. This will play a pivotal role in the creation of our new Learning Centre, enabling us to inspire future generations and share the RAF’s stories in innovative and engaging ways for people of all ages.

"The Learning Centre will transform our offer for school groups, enabling us to accommodate an additional 8,000 students per year. These state-of-the-art facilities will include two analogue and two digital classrooms, lunch spaces for up to 120 students, and spaces for outdoor learning.

"Support from the Wolfson Foundation underscores the importance of education, and we are delighted to have them as a key partner in this transformative project."

Paul Ramsbottom, Chief Executive of the Wolfson Foundation, said:

"We are delighted to support the redevelopment of the RAF Museum Midlands, especially the new Learning Centre. Support for education is at the heart of our work, and this ambitious project will engage and inspire new audiences, including young people, by connecting them with the story of the RAF in fresh and innovative ways."

The Development Programme will increase the Museum’s capacity to engage with a wider, more diverse audience than ever before. The transformation will be underpinned by, and feed into, activities that welcome more of our communities to use the RAF Museum and RAF story as a resource, enabling the Museum to play a more impactful role across the Midlands.

The project will also support the Museum's ambition to become a Carbon Net Zero organisation. Work will commence later this year and is expected to be complete by summer 2027. 

The Inspiring Everyone: RAF Museum Midlands Development Programme is supported by a number of funders including The National Lottery Heritage Fund, as well as the RAF Museum’s own investment.

To find out more about the redevelopment project and how you can get involved, visit rafmuseum.org/midlands. The Museum is open daily from 10.00am and admission is free.