Alistair Hardaker | Image: The RAF 1980 to Today Exhibition, Rubb Hanger
Biffa Award grants £1 million from Landfill Communities Fund to support new permanent gallery exploring RAF operations from 1980 to present day.
The Royal Air Force Museum Midlands has been awarded a £1m grant from the Biffa Award to support the development of a new exhibition exploring the story of the RAF from 1980 to today.
The funding, awarded through the Landfill Communities Fund, will contribute to the delivery of ‘The RAF: 1980 to Today’ exhibition, part of the museum’s wider Inspiring Everyone: RAF Museum Midlands Development Programme.
The Landfill Communities Fund (LCF) allows landfill operators to contribute to community and environmental projects near landfill sites, claiming a 90% tax credit. Since 1996, over £1.7 billion has been spent on projects across the UK.
The permanent exhibition will cover the RAF’s role over the past 40 years, including its responsibilities for space and cyber defence. The grant will support elements of the exhibition’s design and build, including display cases, lighting, setworks, mannequins, interactives, mount making and specialist infrastructure.
Biffa Award is a fund that awards grants to communities and environmental projects across England and Northern Ireland as part of the Government’s Landfill Communities Fund.
Maggie Appleton, CEO of the Royal Air Force Museum, and one of nine judges on the Museums + Heritage Awards panel, said the funding will “enable us to create a bold and immersive exhibition that explores the RAF’s story from 1980 to today, a period of rapid technological change, global operations and evolving challenges.”
Rachel Maidment, Grants Manager at Biffa Award, said the new permanent exhibition will “shine a light on the vital work of the RAF over the last four decades, helping visitors of all ages connect with the people, technology and stories that continue to shape our national defence.
The exhibition forms part of a sitewide transformation of the RAF Museum Midlands, supported by funders including The National Lottery Heritage Fund and the Royal Air Force, as well as the museum’s own investment.
The redevelopment will also deliver a Learning Centre, Collections Hub, expanded green spaces and a community engagement programme. The new spaces will be available for visitors from summer 2027.
