A NATIONAL Lottery grant of £1m has been made to The Story Museum in Oxford so the second chapter of its growth as a venue can unfold.

The Pembroke Street attraction first opened to the public in 2014 and brings in thousands of visitors every year who want to find out more about children’s authors and the art of storytelling.

A £6m scheme has been drawn up to completely revamp the Rochester House building to incorporate 10 gallery, spaces, five new semi-permanent exhibitions, a 120-seat theatre and a learning studio.

Preparations for the revamp are under way and the attraction will not fully reopen until spring 2020 although the cafe and Long Room Gallery will stay open.

The museum, which helps to organise Alice’s Day in Oxford every year, won funding for the project from the Heritage Lottery Fund in 2015 and has now secured the full grant award of £1.07m.

Caroline Jones, co-director and CEO of The Story Museum, said: “This latest grant from the HLF, together with a £2m contribution from Arts Council England, and support from several other grant-making trusts and generous individuals, puts us firmly on course to start work on site this Autumn.

“We are now fundraising in earnest to reach our match-funding milestone so that we can press the Go button in October.

“At this point the Museum will launch a public appeal and invite local families, schools, businesses and many story-makers to play their part in the continuing success of this inspiring venture.”

Ms Jones said since 2014 exhibition spaces have been used to host a series of installations, attracting about 160,000 visitors.

She added: “It’s really exciting to see those ideas now taking shape and we can’t wait to welcome everyone back to the bigger and better Story Museum in 2020.”

The construction project is being led by architects Purcell.

One of the highlights of the new facilities will include the Whispering Wood, which will start the visitor journey with an exploration of the history of story from the earliest spoken tales and oral epics.

Ros Kerslake, Chief Executive of the Heritage Lottery Fund, said: ‘I am thrilled The Story Museum has been awarded over £1m of National Lottery funding.

“Heritage makes a huge difference to people and the places they live. It will be exciting to see how this fantastic project progresses and the positive effect it has on the local community.”

Jayne Tyler, senior manager for Arts Council England in the South East, said: “The Story Museum is a wonderful place, bringing stories to life for people of all ages. We’re delighted that HLF is supporting the transformation.”