UK National Videogame Museum awarded grant to ensure its short-term survival

The National Videogame Museum has been awarded a grant from the Arts Council of England's Culture Recovery Fund that will ensure its survival until spring. 

The institution is the UK's only museum dedicated to video game culture and education, and has been threatened with permanent closure due to the coronavirus pandemic. 

Earlier this year it raised over £200,000 ($260,000) through JustGiving to help it weather the pandemic, and this new grant should allow it to continue operating into early 2021. 

The size of the grant wasn't disclosed, but Ian Livingstone, chair of the BGI charity that governs the museum, described the funding as "generous."

"We were delighted to hear this news and would like to express our sincere gratitude to Arts Council, DCMS and the Culture Secretary for supporting the cultural sector during its hour of need," he commented.

"The generous funding for the nation’s cultural organisations including the UK’s only museum dedicated to video games is very much appreciated. It was a great relief to learn that our educational and cultural programs will be able to continue in Sheffield for the foreseeable future."