Work will begin this month on a £2.25m redevelopment of the National Glass Centre at the University of Sunderland following a successful fundraising campaign.

The latest funding came from the Arts Council England's Large Capital Programme (£750,000), the Heritage Lottery Fund (£337,000) and the Foyle Foundation (£50,000).

The University of Sunderland also contributed £975,000 towards the project

The project, which is due for completion in Summer 2013, will focus on a new heritage gallery within the centre that will be created alongside an extensive range of learning activities.

The new exhibition spaces will showcase the origins of glass, the growth of the glass industry and the legacy of glass making in Sunderland.

The funding will also contribute to the new electric furnaces in the Hot Glass Studio, which will improve the centre's environmental sustainability and reduce its carbon footprint.

Professor Peter Fidler, vice-chancellor of the University of Sunderland, said: "National Glass Centre is such an important cultural venue for Sunderland and the wider North-East region. That is why we took over the running of the Centre in 2010 and put forward a vision that would make it a venue with national significance.

"We have been supported with this vision by a range of people and organisations. From day one the Arts Council backed our vision - firstly, funding the centre through the National Portfolio programme, and now with a £750,000 grant. Investment that will indeed raise the profile of the centre regionally, and nationally."