Funding & Income Generation

Our primary funders are:

• Sheffield City Council
• Arts Council England

We’re an Arts Council England National Portfolio Organisation, which means funding thanks to National Lottery players plays a huge part in supporting our work.  

Thanks to the continued support Sheffield City Council and Arts Council England, we’re able to provide amazing experiences for the people of Sheffield and beyond.

We're also grateful to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport for their support throughout the pandemic via the Culture Recovery Fund #HereForCulture.

Much of our work is also supported by a wide range of trusts, foundations and funding bodies. In 2024/25, these include:

• Ampersand Foundation
• John Ellerman Foundation
• Esmée Fairbairn Foundation
• J G Graves Charitable Trust
• The Guild of St George
• Henry Moore Foundation
• National Lottery Heritage Fund

We are hugely grateful to the individuals and businesses who have generously supported our work. These include:  

• AESSEAL plc – thanks to their generosity, the Gordon Bridge Gallery at Weston Park Museum celebrates views of the city in memory of the Sheffield businessman, former Chair of the museums and champion of culture, Gordon Bridge.
• GRI Group – their generous support in 2024/25 is helping the museums continue to celebrate the city's rich history of industrial innovation and excellence in making. 

Being a Friend is a special way to give back. Through their membership, our Friends support all aspects of our work, from conserving works in the collection to providing free events and activities for families.

Our Friends Circle are closest supporters. In 2023/24, these include:

• Julie Banham
• Richard Barrett-Small
• John Biggin
• Victoria Brown
• Peter Burridge
• John Cowling
• Mike Day
• The Duke of Devonshire
• Anne Hill
• Christine Green
• Caroline Krzesinska
• Sandra Newton
• Mel Pretious
• Roger Purkiss
• Alan & Ellen Reid
• Vicky Seddon
• Adrian Stone
• Linda Tonner
• Peter Willett

Find out more about joining Sheffield Museums’ Friends or Friends Circle here

Every pound you’re able to give helps care for the city’s remarkable collections, brings outstanding cultural experiences to Sheffield and ensures your museums are free and open for everyone to enjoy.

Donate today here

Sheffield’s museums enhance the quality of life in our city and help make it a vibrant place to live, work, study and do business. Sponsorship helps to ensure your museums and galleries can continue to provide great cultural and heritage experiences for the people of Sheffield and beyond, now and for generations to come.

Our Weston Park Museum exhibition, The Boy with a Leg Named Brian: Memoirs by Pete McKee, running from Nov 2024 to Nov 2025, is generously sponsored by law firm CMS.

Our summer 2024 exhibition at the Millennium Gallery, Show Your Metal was generously supported by:

Gold Sponsor:

• Forged Solutions Group

Silver Sponsors:

• Sheffield Assay Office
• The Company of Cutlers in Hallamshire

Bronze Sponsors:

• ICD Europe
• Outokumpu
• Rotabroach
• Sheffield Forgemasters
• University of Sheffield Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre
  
  

Cirata generously supported our 2023 exhibition at the Millennium Gallery, Pioneers: John Ruskin, William Morris and the Bauhaus.

CMS were the headline sponsors of our 2023 Fundraising Dinner.

Find out more about how we can work with your business here

From hosting weddings to our shops and cafes, we generate vital income to support the city’s museums through a range of commercial activity.

Find out more here