Up to 10 grants of between £50,000 and £75,000 are expected to be awarded to UK museums for the development and continuation of ground-breaking health and wellbeing programmes
The Museums Association, funded by the Julia Rausing Trust, is providing a programme of grant-making, networking and learning dissemination for health and wellbeing programmes in museums. Grants will enable the development and continuation of ground-breaking health and wellbeing programmes in UK museums during a time of financial crisis and increasing demand for services.
The Health and Wellbeing in Museums Fund is now open for applications with a deadline for enquiries of Wednesday 20 May 2026. Around 30 organisations are expected to be invited to apply for a grant of between £50,000 and £75,000, from which a maximum of 10 grants will be made.
The Museums Association particularly wants to support applications from museums in Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales to enable it to achieve a geographically balanced cohort over the two rounds of funding (the first round was in the autumn of 2025), recognising that the final 9 awards in Round 1 were all in England. The Association encourages applicants to get in touch at their earliest opportunity to ensure there is enough time for it to offer support with their application.
The first round of grants was awarded in September 2025, with nine museums given funding to develop and continue their programmes. This includes the Holburne Museum, Bath which has been awarded £75,000 to extend the reach and diversity of “Pathways to Wellbeing”, supporting adults and young people (16-25) with lived experience of mental health issues and social isolation.
The fund is designed to enable museums to build on their existing leading health and wellbeing work. Applicants will be expected to demonstrate:
- A proven track record for the work they are doing.
- A strategic commitment to health and wellbeing at their museum, and
- A clear idea of how you they like to develop their work.
A 3-stage application process applies to this programme, namely:
- Potential applicants must complete a short online eligibility quiz.
- Those who successfully complete this will be able to book a conversation with the Museums Association team to talk through their idea. During this conversation the Association’s team will provide further guidance and advice.
- Those who meet the essential criteria and excel in at least one of the eligibility criteria will be invited to complete the application form.
The key dates for applications to Round 2 are:
- Monday 12 January 2026: application process opened. Interested museums should complete the application quiz to check eligibility before getting in touch with the Association via the link provided at the end of the quiz.
- Wednesday 20 May 2026: support call deadline and final invitations to apply sent. The final submission deadline will be shared with invited applicants and will provide adequate time to complete an application.
- Late September 2026: applicants advised of the outcome.
- Monday 2 – Thursday 5 November 2026: first meeting of successful grantees takes place at the Museums Association’s annual conference at Birmingham Repertory Theatre, Birmingham. Bursaries are available to cover a conference place and provide limited travel and accommodation expenses.