EXCITING £1.2 million plans to extend Newton Abbot Museum will start taking shape this month.

Contractors are due to move in next week to start the project to deliver a climate-controlled collections store with space for more members of the community to get involved with behind-the-scenes museum activities.

In addition, the facility will resolve the shortfalls of accommodating the collection in a former Victorian church and put an end to additional off-site storage.

The thermally efficient building has been designed to be architecturally distinct from the museum and reflects the results of a year-long public consultation.

Initially given the working title of ‘What’s in Store?’, the scheme was given a green light earlier this year with confirmation of a grant worth more than £800,000 from the National Lottery Heritage Fund.

A further £34,000 was also awarded by the Swire Charitable Trust and another £30,000 came from the Garfield Weston Foundation.

Curator Joanna Eccles said: ‘This will make a fundamental change to the level of care, community access and space provided for the stored collections by building a single-story extension to the museum to house an environmentally stable and accessible collections store.

‘With community engagement very much at the heart of this project, a programme of engaging behind-the-scenes community activities will be delivered.

‘We are absolutely thrilled to have been awarded the grant from The National Lottery Heritage Fund, made possible by players of the National Lottery.

‘We are also deeply grateful to the Swire Charitable Trust, Garfield Weston Foundation and others whose support is incredibly welcome.

‘These grants will allow us to fully realise our ambitions of state-of-the-art curation and even greater community involvement.’

Stuart McLeod of the NLHF said: ‘The creation of a new accessible collections store at Newton Abbot’s museum will not only safeguard the town’s rich heritage for future generations, but also open up exciting opportunities for the community to engage more deeply with the museum’s remarkable collection.

‘Thanks to National Lottery players, this project builds on the success of the transformation of Newton’s Place into the Newton Abbot Museum that we know today.

‘It reflects our commitment to supporting inclusive, sustainable heritage spaces that bring people together.’

The day-to-day running of the museum is funded by Newton Abbot Town Council.

Mayor Cllr Louise Cooke said: ‘My wholehearted congratulations to the team that has secured all the funding needed for the new extension, that’s quite some achievement.

‘We are deeply grateful to all the organisations that have offered grants and awards, not least the Swire Charitable Trust, Garfield Weston and of course the NLHF who made the original Newton’s Place and Museum project possible a few years ago.

‘With this latest scheme we’ve attracted almost £1 million of inward investment at precisely the time when we need to ensure our high streets remain resilient.

‘I hope the Newton Abbot community will be proud of our efforts on its behalf.’ Anyone wanting to support the project can visit www.mygivinghub.com and search for Newton Abbot Museum.

‘Please consider making a donation,’ said Joanna.

‘Every contribution, no matter the size, brings this vital project one step closer to completion.’