A MUSEUM dedicated to one of the region's Army regiments has received a grant of £220,000 to make its collections and expertise more widely available.

The Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) grant will allow the Beyond Four Walls project, at the Green Howards museum, in Richmond, to convert more than 6,000 archive photographs into digital format.

The photographs show the regiment's history since 1855 and will be stored in a refurbished documents and photographic archive and on a database.

The archive will also be made available on the Internet.

The museum's lower ground floor area will be refurbished to include a reception area, shop and research area.

There will also be improved office space and a work room.

A hands-on area will be created for children and school parties.

The grant will also pay for a collections and audience developments officer, who will run the project and train volunteers.

The cost of the project will be more than £255,000. The balance will be met from museum funds and a grant from Richmondshire District Council.

Museum curator Major Roger Chapman said: "We are delighted, and very grateful, that the HLF has awarded us this major grant.

"It will help place the regimental museum at the forefront of 21st Century practice and will help us to serve the local community and everyone who is interested in the history of the Green Howards."

Fiona Spiers, HLF regional manager for Yorkshire and Humber, said: "Britain has a world famous military heritage, which we can all be proud of, and this project will open up a vital part of it for everyone to discover and enjoy.

Published: 27/06/2005