The first funding from Truro Town Deal’s main programme has been awarded to Royal Cornwall Museum. 

The £476,000 grant will be used to transform the museum’s mineral gallery, which will include a state-of-the-art digital lab enabling people all over the world to interact with the collection online.  

The investment is the first significant funding award towards the transformation of the museum, and forms part of an ambitious three-year investment programme aiming to secure its future and attract more visitors. 

Hailed as one of the finest in the UK, the mineral collection is currently housed on the ground floor in the Rashleigh Gallery, named after 18th century collector Philip Rashleigh and containing many of his findings with detailed notes. The revamped minerals exhibition space, situated on the ground floor of the museum, is expected to be completed by Summer 2024. 

Jonathan Morton, chief executive at the museum, said: “The mineral gallery houses an internationally recognised collection that is hugely important in representing Cornwall’s rich history as a global mining centre.  

“The digital learning lab will enable us to offer workshops and presentations, streaming content about our mineral collection to people around the world. It will also drive footfall into the museum by providing an interactive offer to our visitors and educational programmes. 

“This investment from Truro Town Deal into Royal Cornwall Museum is a crucial part of the overall vision of Truro as an attractive place to live, work and visit.” 

The museum opened its summer exhibition last week. Adrift: Lost At Sea is the latest in a series of temporary exhibitions exploring Cornish culture and follows the journey of Lego, lighters and other hard plastics from the sea to the seaside. The exhibition runs until September 23. 

Alan Stanhope, chair of Truro Town Deal Board, said: “This is an important milestone for Truro Town Deal – that funding is now with the project and can start to go to work.  

“Royal Cornwall Museum was selected as part of our Town Investment Plan for the role it plays in attracting new visitors and enhancing the breadth of the cultural offer in Truro. 

“I’m looking forward to seeing the digital lab in action and benefiting visitors both locally and across the world.” 

Louis Gardner, Cornwall Council cabinet portfolio holder for economy, said: “The main aim of the Town Deal Fund is to revitalise the economy of the towns, and in Cornwall some of that investment goes towards refurbishing and developing our cultural assets.  

“It will enable organisations such as the Royal Cornwall Museum to enhance their offer for the local community as well as promote our rich and unique heritage to visitors, supporting a thriving cultural and heritage sector and the wider economy of the city.”  

Truro was one of 101 towns, and four in Cornwall, selected to bid for the Government’s £3.6 billion Towns Fund which aims to drive economic regeneration. 

In April 2021, Truro secured a Town Deal of up to £23.6 million following the successful submission of its Town Investment Plan for a range of regeneration projects.