UK’s biggest heritage funder offers grants to support recovery and extends deadline
The National Lottery Heritage Fund is moving quickly to respond to the changing needs of the heritage sector in the COVID-19 crisis, today announcing that its emergency grants can also be used to help organisations to recover and reopen, and extending its application deadline to the end of July.
The £50 million Heritage Emergency Fund was set up at speed in late April to help the UK’s heritage survive the significant impact of the COVID-19 epidemic. Thanks to money raised by National Lottery players, hundreds of grants have now been awarded, addressing immediate pressures for those most in need. But in a climate where their existing business model may no longer be fit for purpose, heritage organisations still face significant challenges as they look towards recovery.Ros Kerslake, Chief Executive, National Lottery Heritage Fund, said: “This is still a time of great change and uncertainty for heritage organisations, and we are with them in heart and mind right now as they take uncertain steps back into a fast-changing world. We are keen to help them in planning for the recovery that is so vital for heritage, its people and communities.”
Grants have so far supported heritage organisations with essential costs to keep them afloat, from core staff wages to utility bills. They can now also be used to build the foundations of recovery, which may include new operating and business plans, investing in digital, or the potentially significant costs of reopening.
Many organisations will need to restructure their sites in order to reopen safely and in line with Government guidance. The grants can cover the costs of managing a heritage site during social distancing, which could include additional staff to help manage queues, PPE for staff and volunteers, training, additional cleaning, implementing contactless payment methods, or temporary structures to help manage visitors, like shelter for queues or additional toilets.
The Emergency Fund is part of a wider raft of support available from The National Lottery Heritage Fund for heritage organisations affected by the crisis, which includes continued support for 2,500 organisations where funding of £1.1bn is already committed, and additional £1.2m investment in our Digital Skills for Heritage initiative to help the sector through the crisis and beyond.
There is also further £2m for ROSS consultants – the experts who support projects, help run delivery, mentor, monitor and help with business plans etc. We will be directing that support to organisations in need as a result of the crisis, and in doing so, supporting several hundred freelancers and self-employed.
Organisations are encouraged to check their eligibility and apply at https://www.heritagefund.org.uk/responding-coronavirus-covid-19
So far, Heritage Emergency Fund grants have been awarded across the full breadth of heritage, from historic sites, industrial and maritime heritage, museums, libraries and archives to parks and gardens and landscapes and nature, including:
IROKO Theatre Company, London £5,300
IROKO theatre company uses traditional African theatre to enhance the education, health and wellbeing of people from all backgrounds and nationalities. They hold performances, workshops, training, research and exhibitions in community settings – schools, libraries, community centres, older people’s homes and hospitals. Their grant will cover overhead costs and strategic planning.
Tower Hamlets Cemetery Park, London £11,900
One of London’s most historic ‘Magnificent Seven’ cemeteries, home to rare and protected species of bees and butterflies. Their grant is covering urgent works to prevent risk and preserve the biodiversity and built heritage of the site.
Clifton House, North Belfast, £18,900
Clifton House, which dates from 1774, served as the city’s Poor House and first hospital. Today, it is one of the finest examples of Georgian architecture in Belfast. Belfast Charitable Society was faced with a substantial loss of income when the building closed to the general public. Plans are now afoot to continue to provide access through a weekly programme of virtual talks and, in time, a virtual tour.
Llandudno Museum & Gallery, North Wales, £31,400
Construction work on the re-development of this Museum & Gallery had ceased due to COVID-19, and they are not able to meet their original plan to open in June. They have also not been able to earn any income and have had to draw on their reserves. The grant will help to sustain the museum & gallery financially while they plan for their future.
Wensleydale Railway Association, £50,000
The heritage railway in the Yorkshire Dales has been closed since March and its staff furloughed. With no train services running the railway has not received any of its usual income. The grant is being used to refurbish three coaches and to undertake essential maintenance to their tracks and facilities in anticipation of them getting the green light to reopen from the Government.
Scottish Seabird Centre, Scotland, £50,000
The Scottish Seabird Centre is a marine conservation and education charity which is supported by a 5 star visitor attraction in North Berwick, Scotland. The instant loss of visitor income meant that the charity was at the point of collapse. Our funding, along with additional funding it helped unlock, will support the charity in ensuring that Scotland’s marine environment is healthy, wildlife-rich, valued and enjoyed by all.
Hestercombe Gardens Trust, Somerset, £122,000
Hestercombe Gardens is a unique Grade 1 landscape, including early 1900s gardens by Sir Edwin Lutyens and Gertrude Jekyll, and home to endangered Lesser Horseshoe bats. The garden closed on 23 March and 55 out of 63 staff were furloughed. The grant is covering four months’ operating costs.
In March, the National Lottery Heritage Fund surveyed more than 1250 heritage organisations on the effect of the COVID-19 crisis. The results show that 82% of respondents reported a high or moderate risk to their organisation’s long-term viability. 35% stated their financial reserves would be depleted within four months, and 46% of organisations said they could survive for no more than six months.