Boost for Heritage with the Launch of the Culture Recovery Fund Round 3
Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden has announced that the final £300 million of the Government's record-breaking £2 billion Culture Recovery Fund (CRF) will support organisations in need of urgent funding, providing emergency support and helping them to build a sustainable future.
As part of this, Historic England is delivering a second round of the Heritage Stimulus Fund, as well as working with the National Lottery Heritage Fund to deliver the Culture Recovery Fund Round 3 Resource Grants.
Historic England has already distributed over £52 million through the first round of the Heritage Stimulus Fund, launched in the summer of 2020, for major construction projects at some of the country’s wonderful heritage sites. Historic places which have already benefitted include Hampton Court, as part of a £3 million grant to Historic Royal Palaces and Furness Abbey in Cumbria as part of a £2.9 million capital grant to English Heritage.
None of these historic places would have been able to carry out crucial repair work during the pandemic without this support.
Besides the Heritage Stimulus Fund, Historic England has allocated £122 million through a joint fund with the National Lottery Heritage Fund. Visit the National Lottery Heritage Fund website to find out more about the Culture Recovery Fund Round 3 Resource Grants.
Our record-breaking Culture Recovery Fund has already helped thousands of organisations across the country to survive and protected hundreds of thousands of jobs. Now, as we look forward to full reopening, this funding shows our commitment to stand behind culture and heritage all the way through the pandemic.
This round of funding will provide a further boost to help organisations build back better and ensure we can support more of those in need - safeguarding our precious culture and heritage, and the jobs this supports.
Heritage Stimulus Fund Round Two
Historic England is launching the second round of the Heritage Stimulus Fund, with more than £30 million to support major projects and programmes of repair and restoration at nationally important heritage sites across the county which have been hit by the on-going impact of the pandemic.
The Heritage Stimulus Fund has already enabled repair and maintenance work at more than 800 of the country’s treasured heritage assets and has protected the jobs of expert craftspeople working in the sector.
In this latest round, the Heritage Stimulus fund will continue to support a large number of projects carried out by a variety of specialists and craftspeople across the country, thereby supporting this vulnerable sector as the nation starts to re-open.
The fund will consist of two schemes: Grants for Programmes of Major Works and Major Repairs for Heritage at Risk
Grants for Programmes of Major Works
Grants of up to £7 million for major capital repair projects will be offered to organisations that manage a portfolio of nationally important heritage assets which open to the public. Recipients of the previous round include the National Trust, The Landmark Trust, Historic Treasure Houses and the Church of England.
Repair Grants for Heritage at Risk
Funding of around £5 million will be distributed through Historic England’s existing Repair Grants for Heritage at Risk scheme. It will focus on bringing historic buildings back into use in areas where funding is most needed to help enrich people’s lives.
COVID-19 has placed an enormous strain on the heritage organisations that care for our cherished historic places. At this time of year, they would normally be embarking on programmes of important structural and maintenance work, providing employment for specialist construction firms and craftspeople. However, COVID-19 has had devastating impact on income generated by visitors and many are now struggling.
Launching the Heritage Stimulus Fund Round Two will provide a life-line for these important organisations, allowing them to get vital work underway to preserve our iconic landmarks, while also providing employment for people working in this vulnerable sector.
The last year has shown more than ever the value of heritage organisations and businesses. It has a central role to play as the country moves towards a sustainable recovery. We hope that the next round of the Heritage Stimulus Fund will contribute hugely towards that.
Funding distributed so far
The Culture Recovery Fund is the biggest one-off investment in UK culture and was recently boosted with a further £300 million in funding at Budget. Grants have been allocated to arts and heritage organisations to protect important cultural assets and ensure they continue to play a key role in levelling up the country.
Over £52 million was awarded in grants through the first round of the Heritage Stimulus Fund, launched in the summer of 2020. The grants supported major construction projects at some of the country’s wonderful heritage sites. None of these historic places would have been able to carry out crucial repair work during the pandemic without support from the Heritage Stimulus Fund.
Besides the Heritage Stimulus Fund, Historic England has allocated £122 million through a joint fund with the National Lottery Heritage Fund.
Success stories from Round One
Gibside, Tyne and Wear
The National Trust received a grant of more than £5 million to support major programmes of repair at historic places across the county.
This included work at Gibside, a stunning Georgian landscape in Gateshead, much loved by visitors and the local community.
Gibside is one of a few surviving 18-centuary landscapes, carefully fashioned to create spectacular views.
A project to repair the listed garden walls had to be put on hold during the first lock down in 2020. However, thanks to the grant from the Heritage Stimulus Fund, the National Trust was able to re-start it, ensuring that the site has a safe future. The funding has also helped keep important heritage masonry skills alive.
Thornton-le-Beans Chapel, North Yorkshire
National charity Friends of Friendless Churches - which rescues, repairs and campaigns for historic churches - received a grant of over £1 million to help with repair work to buildings like the Thornton-le-Beans Chapel in North Yorkshire.
The small, Grade II listed church has medieval origins, was largely rebuilt in the 1770s and displays many Victorian features.
It was declared redundant in 1997 and gradually fell into disrepair but since 2010 the community, along with Friends of Friendless Churches, have fought hard to save it. Funding was used to repair the roof and floor so the building could be used and put at the heart of the local community once more.
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