Congratulations to Sandwell Library and Information Service for securing £495,000 of funding from the government’s Cultural Investment Fund.

The funding is part of £7m worth of funding allocated for the West Midlands from a national pot of £48m for cultural organisations and venues across the country. 

Five organisations in the West Midlands have received funding, which is broken down into three streams: the Cultural Development Fund, the Libraries Improvement Fund and the Museum Estate and Development Fund (MEND).

The Libraries Improvement Fund aims to transform library services in England by helping them upgrade their buildings and digital infrastructure so they can respond to the changing ways people are using them.

The £495,000 awarded to Sandwell Library and Information Service will pay for maintenance works and improvements to the borough’s digital offering to its users, including new tablets, self-serve kiosks and apps.

Sandwell has a central library in West Bromwich, as well as 18 community libraries, a mobile library and home library service, a community history and archives service, and a vibrant online presence. Sandwell Libraries & Archives offers opportunities for learning and improving health and wellbeing. It also gives access to creative arts and heritage and supports the local economy. 

The other West Midlands organisations to benefit from the £7m fund include Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery, Ironbridge Gorge Museum and the Museum of Cannock Chase.

In addition to the investment already received by the West Midlands from the Culture Recovery Fund, 13 places were recently designated as Levelling Up For Culture Places, which will be prioritised for funding from Arts Council England.

The funding will help more people to enjoy the Midlands’ art and cultural institutions, including those that Sandwell has to offer. To find out more about places to visit and coming events across the borough visit www.discoversandwell.co.uk.