Three museums in the region have been given government funding to help them remain open.

The South West Heritage Trust (SWHT), which runs the North Devon Record Office and Devon Heritage Centre, was given £503,131 from the £20m Museum Renewal Fund.

The Box in Plymouth was awarded £184,215, while Exeter City Council received £114,202.

SWHT chief executive Sam Astill said the funding would help the team carry out a development programme to strengthen the resilience of its museums.

Victoria Pomery, chief executive of The Box, said the funding “ensures much-loved civic museums can remain open and continue to provide opportunities for future generations to learn about our shared heritage and how their local community has played its part in our national story”.

The overall funding was shared between 75 organisations across the UK.