A MUSEUM famous for bringing history to life has been given a lifeline worth almost a £1million to safeguard its future.

Beamish Museum, near Stanley, last month said 59 jobs were at risk after a disastrous financial year due to the coronavirus lockdown.

The museum, which is celebrating its golden anniversary this year, gets 95 per cent of its income from visitors, but was completely closed for four months after the national lockdown was imposed in March.

Now the Government has confirmed the museum, which preserves the region’s history, giving generations of visitors a chance to experience life in the 1820s, 1900s, 1940s and 1950s, has been awarded £970,000 as part of the £1.57billion Culture Recovery Fund.

Rhiannon Hiles, Beamish’s deputy director, said: “This much-needed injection of funding will help to protect Beamish, an important cultural and regional asset, in these increasingly challenging times.

“The museum has such a key role to play in the North-East of England, in terms of its social, cultural and economic impact.

“This funding is crucial in enabling us to continue to tell the story of everyday working life in the North-East for generations to come, alongside helping to drive the region’s tourism economy. The team at Beamish is hugely grateful for this support, and we’re looking forward to continuing to deliver a brilliant and engaging visitor experience for many years to come

“This is such fantastic news, not just for the museum but for the wider North East of England.”

In the North-East funding worth £10million will help 58 theatres, galleries, performance groups, arts organisations, museums, while 23 similar venues in North Yorkshire will receive a share of £3.4million.

Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden said: “These places and projects are cultural beacons the length and breadth of the country. This unprecedented investment in the arts is proof this government is here for culture, with further support to come in the days and weeks ahead so that the culture sector can bounce back strongly.”

Sir Nicholas Serota, chairman of the Arts Council England, said: “Theatres, museums, galleries, dance companies and music venues bring joy to people and life to our cities, towns and villages.

“This life-changing funding will save thousands of cultural spaces loved by local communities and international audiences.”