London - The British Culture Secretary, Mr Chris Smith, yesterday announced a £7 million donation for museums and galleries from one of Britain's biggest private funders.
Cash from the Clore Foundation and Vivien Duffield Foundation will pay for new education centres at three of the nation's most prestigious institutions in London. £1 million of that will go towards providing small grants to local and regional museums over the next five years.
Mr Smith announced that Clore Centres for Education will be built at the new Tate Gallery at Bankside, the British Museum and the Natural History Museum.
For the Tate and British Museum, the £2.5 million centres will be part of new building developments due to open in the year 2000.
Mrs Duffield is chiefly known for her gifts to the Royal Opera House, but she said the troubled Covent Garden institution was not on the new agenda.