Funding has been released to restore a historic university college in Wales.

More than £10 million of National Lottery funding has been made available to transform Aberystwyth University's iconic Old College, the birthplace of university education in Wales.

Having opened in 1872, the University moved to a newly built campus in the 1960s. However, the

Work is now underway to develop plans for the building as a performance and gallery space for artists, exhibitions and musicians, a centre for entrepreneurs and new businesses, as well as café and community rooms. Other features include a university museum, allowing some of the 20,000 items normally in storage to be shown the light of day and a new science centre will showcase interactive displays alongside a planetarium and 4D facility, highlighting the university's links with the European Space Agency.

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The total cost of the redevelopment is estimated at around £22m. The University is planning other sources of financing for the project, including a major fundraising appeal.

Speaking during a visit to Aberystwyth to mark the funding announcement, UK Government in Wales Minister Guto Bebb said: "This National Lottery funding secures the future of the Old College, meaning it can continue to play a vital role in the future - not only of the university but the town itself. As an alumnus myself, I am pleased to see such a worthwhile and exciting project as this being supported to help secure a sustainable future for a building of which I have very fond memories."

John Glen MP, Parliamentary Undersecretary of State for Arts, Heritage and Tourism, said: "Aberystwyth Old College is a treasured local building that is recognised as one of the UK's most significant pieces of Gothic revival architecture.

"This fantastic scheme is so much more than a restoration project. Thanks to the £10.5 million contribution from National Lottery Players, it will create a thriving visitor and learning destination that will provide new cultural and community resources for Aberystwyth and West Wales and boost the wider Welsh economy."

(LM/MH)