The UK Government has announced that £1.5 billion will be invested in the culture sector (including arts venues, museums, libraries, and heritage buildings) in England over five years in order to prevent closures and address urgent capital needs. The support includes more than £100 million of new monies specifically earmarked for local museums (many of which have industrial sites and colletcions) struggling with maintenance backlogs and bills. This is expected to directly support up to 200 local sites across the country.

£760 million of this funding is earmarked for museums, with a direct impact on industrial museums and sites through three funding streams:

• £600 million infrastructure funding will support national museums and DCMS sponsored cultural organisations, including the Science Musuem Group, Royal Museums Greenwich (includes National Maritime Museum), and National Museums Liverpool. This funding will address critical maintenance and works to estates and enable these institutions to deliver on their commitments to share their collections and expertise nationally, drawing in visitors from around the world.
• £160 million will be invested in local and regional museums. The Museum Estates and Development Fund (MEND) will continue to help museums tackle maintenance backlogs and has historically supported many industrial heritage museums. A new £13.6 million Museum Transformation programme will support organisations to move towards more sustainable business models.
• £230 million will be used for protecting and preserving heritage buildings, including listed places of worship, across the country. This includes:  £75 million for heritage at risk, which provides grants towards repairs and conservation of historic buildings (many of them industrial), and also £46 million for the Heritage Revival Fund which helps communities to take control of and look after local heritage and bring buildings back into public use.
• £80 million of capital funding over four years will benefit National Portfolio organisations (several of which are industrial sites such as the Ironbridge musuems) that receive regular investment from Arts Council England. This is part of a 5% uplift next year for these organisations that will help deliver arts and culture activity in every local authority.

Further details of these existign and new funds can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/government-announces-bumper-15-billion-package-to-restore-national-pride