The project to redevelop Wrexham Museum into a ‘Museum of Two Halves’ has been awarded a grant by a major UK charity.
The ‘The Museum of Two Halves’ project will see the current Wrexham Museum building redeveloped into a brand new museum for Wrexham, alongside a Football Museum for Wales.
A grant totalling £150,000 has been awarded to support the project by the Wolfson Foundation , an independent charity with a focus on research and education. Its aim is to support civil society by investing in excellent projects in science, health, heritage, humanities and the arts.
Since it was established in 1955, some £1 billion (£2 billion in real terms) has been awarded to more than 12,000 projects throughout the UK, all on the basis of expert review.
Paul Ramsbottom, chief executive of the Wolfson Foundation, said: “We are very pleased to support the redevelopment of Wrexham Museum. We are strongly committed to support for cultural heritage across Wales, and this will not only be the first museum devoted to Welsh football, but will provide visitors with an opportunity to learn more about the heritage of Wrexham and northeast Wales.”
More progress for museum project
Wrexham Museum is now closed to the public so that work can begin to prepare the building for transforming into the new Museum of Two Halves.
The new football museum will celebrate Welsh football, past and present, in all its diversity, from grassroots clubs to the national teams, as well as highlighting Wrexham’s historic achievements in the sport and celebrating the rich football heritage of the County Borough.
New galleries will be created to display the Wrexham Museum collections, which means an enhanced experience for visitors and a first-class, modern venue for discovering the fascinating and eventful story of our region of North East Wales.
The new museum is due to open in 2026.
The project is being supported with funding from Wrexham Council and Welsh Government, with additional support from the National Lottery Heritage Fund and the Wolfson Foundation. The Museum of Two Halves project has received £1.3m from the UK Government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund.”
Lead Member for Partnerships and Community Safety, Cllr Paul Roberts said: “The new funding award by the Wolfson Foundation represents more excellent progress for this hugely exciting project.
“The new Wrexham Museum and Football Museum for Wales will be a major new national attraction, right here in the city centre, drawing new visitors to Wrexham from all over Wales and beyond. Our thanks to the Wolfson Foundation for awarding the grant, and to the project team for the tremendous work they’ve put in to bring the project to this stage.”