Hampshire jobs: Titanic museum boost with HLF money

Hampshire jobs in Southampton will soon benefit from money from the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) to build the Titanic museum.

The £15 million Sea City Museum that is expected to cater to 150,000 annual visitors has been awarded £4.6 million from the HLF.

The museum will now come closer to opening its doors in April 2012, an event that will also mark the 100th anniversary of the Titanic disaster.

According to the Guardian, the HLF has recently announced that they will provide an additional £25 million per year to upgrade tourist attractions in the country.

The fund has increased lottery ticket sales and plan to supply special grants up until 2018.

As a result of the recession, lottery operator Camelot has seen an intense increase in ticket sales. According to the newspaper, sales grew with 11.6% since 2005, placing the Heritage Lottery Fund’s budget at £205 million from April.

“This is extremely welcome news as there is a significant funding need for heritage across the UK and those with excellent projects should be assured that it's well worth applying to us,” Carole Souter, the fund's chief executive said.

“The extra money will be invested in all sorts of transformational projects – from museums and historic buildings to parks, skills and training – so making a real difference to the quality of people's lives.”

The additional funding will not only enhance the UK’s heritage but it will also create new jobs in the process.