A TEST VALLEY museum has received £29,000 from the National Lottery to help support it through the coronavirus crisis.

The Army Flying Museum, in Middle Wallop, was awarded the cash boost to support its operational costs for its website, buildings, and its "hugely popular" online lectures.

Since COVID-19 hit the UK, the museum has claimed to have reached more than 17,000 people across the globe with a lockdown lecture series and outreach programme.

Army Flying Museum chief executive, Lucy Johnson, said: “Thanks to the National Lottery and its players, we can now continue our hugely popular online lectures, which have kept us engaged with thousands of people while they may have otherwise felt quite isolated.

“More than 17,000 people have watched our lectures around the globe.

“Two seasons are still available to watch, and a third season is being planned."

She added: “Now we have reopened, with restrictions and guidelines in place, it’s important that we continue to forge ahead with this broad offering to a much wider audience that otherwise wouldn’t know about us or the story of Army flying that we tell.

“We’re grateful that The National Lottery Heritage Fund is supporting us at this crucial time – it’s a lifeline to us and others who are passionate about sustaining heritage for the benefit of all.”

The £29,000 was given as part of The National Lottery Heritage Fund’s Heritage Emergency Fund, where £50million was made available to provide emergency funding for those most in need across the heritage sector.

Chief executive of The National Lottery Heritage Fund, Ros Kerslake, said: “Heritage has an essential role to play in making communities better places to live, supporting economic regeneration and benefitting our personal wellbeing. "All of these things are going to be even more important as we emerge from this current crisis.

“Thanks to money raised by National Lottery players, we are pleased to be able to lend our support to organisations such as the Army Flying Museum during this uncertain time.”

The National Lottery Heritage Fund’s Heritage Emergency Fund is now closed for applications.

To find out more about The National Heritage Emergency Fund, visit https://www.heritagefund.org.uk/responding-coronavirus-covid-19.