The UK’s only national heritage centre dedicated to the history of black people in Britain is to receive stopgap funding of £200,000 from the government to ensure its survival in the immediate future, but a long-term solution is still needed.

More than 100 cross-party MPs signed a letter in October calling on the government to step in to save the Black Cultural Archives (BCA) in Windrush Square, Brixton, south London, which was facing potential closure due to a catastrophic drop in funding.

Founded in 1981, the archives collect, preserve and celebrate the histories of African and Caribbean people in Britain, from the Roman era to present day. The centre’s funding dropped by two-thirds when a Heritage Lottery grant of £4m came to an end, leaving Lambeth council the major funder, but without the capacity to plug the gap.

The Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport (DCMS) announced on Thursday it would provide an interim payment to ensure the archives remain open while a long-term funding strategy is drawn up. It also pledged to help the archives to extend their national reach and identify alternative support to develop the centre further.

MPs urge government to secure future of Black Cultural Archives Read more

Announcing the cash injection, the culture secretary, Jeremy Wright, said: “The Black Cultural Archives does incredibly important work in preserving and promoting the history of African and Caribbean communities in the UK.

“This £200,000 funding is a crucial step in securing its future. We are working closely with the Archives to put it on a long-term sustainable footing so that it can continue to educate the public and celebrate black history in Britain.”

The BCA tweeted in response: “We’re thrilled that government has announced £200,000 of short-term funding for BCA. We’re working on a long-term funding plan to secure our place as only national heritage centre dedicated to the histories of African & Caribbean people in Britain. We value your support!”

Paul Reid, BCA director, said: “We feel very positive. We’ve done all the efficiencies we can do here and reduced staff costs. The government have promised £200,000 which is a really important contribution at this point in time.

“It does not answer the question of long-term sustainability. The next piece of work is sitting round the table, talking with funders and working together on the operational model that will take us forward.”

The campaign to save the archives was led by the local Labour MPs Chuka Umunna (Streatham) and Helen Hayes (Dulwich and West Norwood). Hayes tweeted: “Very pleased that government has today responded to our campaign to save @ bcaheritage by confirming £200,000 of short term funding. Now need to work on a firm long term funding plan to secure BCA as a national institution for the future # BackBCA.”

The archives originated as a community project, documenting the history and cultural heritage of black Britain, but have been transformed into a vast professional collection in recent years, moving into their current home, the Grade II-listed Raleigh Hall in the heart of Brixton, in 2014.

Black Cultural Archives unveils new centre in Brixton Read more

The collection includes everything from a small silver coin, depicting Septimius Severus, the Roman emperor, dating back to AD208, a collection of photographs of the Barbour-James family from the Edwardian era and the back catalogue of lifestyle magazines such as Drum and Flamingo dating from the 1970s.

It also houses the entire collection of the race relations thinktank the Runnymede Trust, as well as the private documents of Ansel Wong, a key figure in setting up Black History Month. Most recently, the archives have worked with the government to mark the 70-year anniversary of HMS Windrush’s arrival at Tilbury docks on the River Thames.

Earlier this week the BCA announced the introduction of a £3 adult admission charge for main exhibitions to help raise funds. The BCA is campaigning to be recognised as a National Portfolio organisation, alongside mainstream and other cultural organisations which are supported by national funding bodies.