The Yorkshire Air Museum, Elvington, York, has received a grant of £249,227 from The National Lottery Heritage Fund to support a project aimed at improving the storage, documentation, and accessibility of its collection. Established in the 1980s, the Yorkshire Air Museum is located on the former site of RAF Elvington, a wartime heavy bomber station from which crews flew operations over occupied Europe and Germany. Today, the museum houses a large collection of military and civilian aviation artifacts and serves as a memorial to Allied air forces.
Museum officials said the funding will be used to upgrade collections management systems, install new storage facilities, and increase public access to the thousands of objects and documents held in the museum’s archive. The collection includes items ranging from WWII pilots’ logbooks and military documents to uniforms, flying equipment, and personal artifacts connected to the history of aviation.
(Image credit: Yorkshire Air Museum)
The project is also expected to support outreach activities and partnerships with schools, volunteers, students, and community organizations. Yorkshire Air Museum Collections Officer Sarah Maultby said: “This funding will enable the Museum to upgrade its collections management system and install bespoke storage, designed for the specific needs of the collection. There will be opportunities for volunteers, students, local groups and schools to take part in events and activities, allowing more people to engage directly with our cultural heritage. In the long term, the project will build skills within our volunteer team to carry on improving the documentation, care of and access to the thousands of objects at the museum. These tell important stories about the RAF and the history of flight.“
Museum Director Jonathan Brewer said: “We are thrilled to have received this support from The National Lottery Heritage Fund. Thanks to National Lottery players, our Collections Project will allow us to make our incredible archive more organised and accessible. Every item tells a powerful story: from mascots and charms taken on flights by aircrew as good luck tokens, to Wartime Logs kept by Prisoners of War. With this generous funding, we can truly make the most of our collection.“
(Image credit: Yorkshire Air Museum)
According to the museum, the work will help improve access to archival material for researchers and family historians seeking information about relatives who served in the Royal Air Force during wartime. For more information and to support the Yorkshire Air Museum, click on this link: yorkshireairmuseum.org.
