Developing the Project

In January 2024 it was announced that The Mercian Regiment Museum (Worcestershire) had been awarded a grant by The National Lottery Heritage Fund to develop the Worcestershire Soldier at The Commandery Project in partnership with Museums Worcestershire and the Worcestershire Yeomanry Museum.

The project aimed to relocate The Worcestershire Soldier Gallery from Worcester City Art Gallery & Museum to the ground floor of The Commandery, one of the city’s oldest buildings which tells the story of Worcester’s role in the English Civil War.

The move would secure the future of the gallery, as well as bringing the Worcestershire Soldier’s story into the heart of the heritage quarter and providing an opportunity to redevelop the displays, which had not seen a major update for over twenty years.

The Worcestershire Soldier at the Commandery would be a completely redesigned gallery with the ambition to tell our regimental stories in new and engaging ways, as well as creating more opportunities for volunteering, lifelong learning, community engagement, inclusion and enhanced wellbeing.

Commenting on the award, Dr John Paddock, Curator of the Mercian Regiment Museum, said:

“We are absolutely delighted that we’ve received this support thanks to National Lottery players. The Worcestershire Soldier will cast fresh light on the lives, achievements, tragedies, and triumphs of the generations who preceded us and to whom we owe so much. Uniting the Worcestershire Soldier with the Commandery is an inspiring project and it is great to know that we are a step closer to preserving the museum of another generation.”

Robyn Llewellyn, Director, England, Midlands & East at The National Lottery Heritage Fund said:

“We are delighted to support The Mercian Regiment Museum with their ambitious plans to relocate The Worcestershire Soldier Gallery to The Commandery. By bringing these histories together the project aims to create new opportunities to engage communities with heritage and spark meaningful dialogue.”

The project also received generous support from the UK Government’s Towns Fund.