Museums in St Albans are set to benefit from a grant of more than £36,000.

The district council has been awarded the cash from Arts Council England to fund three new projects in the district.

The projects, which will run from now until March 2013, have been designed to provide residents with the opportunity to contribute to and shape the museum services.

Councillor Mike Wakely, portfolio holder for sports, leisure and heritage for the council, said: "This money from the Arts Council will help fund community projects that give residents the opportunity to let us know what they want from their local museums.

"They will include a number of fun activities and feedback from them will help us develop a museums service that meets the needs of the community.

"It will be used in our Heritage Lottery Funding application to transform the Grade II* Town Hall into a state-of-the art museum to celebrate St Albans’ history."

The first of the projects aims to offer young people aged between 14 and 19 the opportunity to get involved with their local museum and to influence what happens inside.

The second invites members of the community to discuss what they think is special about St Albans.

The third project will see museum staff taking to the city’s streets to speak to residents about what the museum could be like in the future.

Helen Lax, east regional director, at Arts Council England, said: "We are delighted to be able to support four museums in the east.

"This funding will assist them to explore ways to grow their business including reaching new audiences and new approaches to income generation and fundraising."