The Royal Air Force Museum Midlands has been awarded a £1 million grant from the Biffa Award to support the development of a major new exhibition exploring the story of the RAF from 1980 to today. The funding, awarded through the Landfill Communities Fund, will contribute to the delivery of The RAF: 1980 to Today exhibition, a central element of the Museum’s wider Inspiring Everyone: RAF Museum Midlands Development Programme. This innovative new permanent exhibition will highlight the critical role of the RAF over the past 40 years, inviting visitors to explore its present-day operations and future evolution, including its responsibilities in space and cyber defence. Through compelling storytelling, immersive aircraft and object displays, and digital interactives, visitors will gain insight into the people, technology and operations that define today’s RAF.
Biffa Award is a multi-million-pound fund that helps build communities and transform lives by awarding grants to community and environmental projects across England and Northern Ireland as part of the Government’s Landfill Communities Fund. The RAF Museum’s grant will support essential elements of the exhibition’s design and build, including display cases, lighting, setworks, mannequins, interactives, mount-making, and specialist infrastructure. Maggie Appleton, CEO of the Royal Air Force Museum, said: “We are enormously grateful to the Biffa Award for this transformative £1 million grant. This funding will enable us to create a bold and immersive exhibition exploring the RAF’s story from 1980 to today—a period of rapid technological change, global operations and evolving challenges. As part of our Inspiring Everyone development programme, this exhibition will help us connect with new audiences, reflect contemporary service life, and inspire visitors to consider the RAF’s future. The support of the Biffa Award is instrumental in helping us realise this vision at our Midlands site.”
Rachel Maidment, Grants Manager at Biffa Award, said: “We are delighted to support the RAF Museum Midlands with this significant grant through the Landfill Communities Fund. This new exhibition will shine a light on the vital work of the RAF over the last four decades, helping visitors of all ages connect with the people, technology and stories that continue to shape our national defence. At Biffa Award, we are committed to funding projects that inspire, educate and strengthen communities, and we are proud to help bring this important exhibition to life.” The new exhibition forms part of a site-wide transformation of the RAF Museum Midlands, made possible with the support of funders including The National Lottery Heritage Fund and the Royal Air Force, alongside the Museum’s own investment. The redevelopment will also deliver a state-of-the-art Learning Centre, Collections Hub, expanded green spaces, and a community engagement programme—ensuring the Museum remains nationally relevant and accessible for decades to come. These new spaces are scheduled to open to visitors in the summer of 2027. For more information, visit www.rafmuseum.org.uk.
