THE world-renowned William Morris Gallery has won an £80,000 Lottery bid.

Waltham Forest Council applied for the grant last November as part of a mutli-million pound project to make the gallery, in Lloyd Park, Walthamstow, more accessible and to build an extension to house an education and exhibition space and provide high quality visitor facilities.

Following success in the first stage of the bid for Heritage Lottery Funding (HLF), the council will apply for a further £1.32 million second stage funding in Spring next year, all of which it hopes will enable the gallery to attract a more diverse audience, help accommodate school and group visits and further develop its programme of heritage-based workshops and events.

Cabinet member for leisure, arts and culture, Cllr Geraldine Reardon, said: “Being awarded Heritage Lottery Funding is good news for the William Morris Gallery.

"The council wants to improve the gallery and its collection, and to increase the number of people who visit it every year.”

The council received strong opposition by residents in 2007 over its decision to make financial cuts to the gallery, which meant that it lost members of staff including its keeper, world-renowned William Morris expert, Peter Cormack MBE, and resulted in opening times being reduced.