National Lottery Fund grants £13.5m to UK heritage sites

The National Lottery Heritage Fund will provide £13.5 million in local grants through its ‘Heritage Capital Kickstart Fund’ to help revive 22 heritage sites across the UK impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Planned regeneration and maintenance projects from before the pandemic, which are facing delays or increased costs, can now resume thanks to this funding.

The Heritage Capital Kickstart Fund is distributed by the National Lottery Heritage Fund on behalf of DCMS as part of the government’s £1.57bn ‘Culture Recovery Fund‘ package.

Ros Kerslake, CEO of the National Lottery Heritage Fund, said: “These are all ongoing major refurbishment and restoration projects, funded by us, which have been threatened by the pandemic.

“From the oldest surviving outdoor swimming baths to a Victorian pier, and from a much-loved park to a historic abbey, these are all places that will enrich hundreds of lives when they reopen.

“We are delighted this extra funding from the Culture Recovery Fund will ensure that these exciting projects will go ahead.”

Among the heritage sites across the UK included in the funding programme are the Cleveland Pools in Bath, the Black Country Living Museum in Dudley, and the Bevis Marks Synagogue in London.

A further two projects, Hall for Cornwall and Dorset Museum, were awarded grants last year, taking the total support to £15m.

Culture Secretary, Oliver Dowden, added: “The aim of this funding has always been to protect cultural venues in the heart of communities up and down the country. These awards show we are doing just that – and saving jobs along the way.

“We’re investing the Culture Recovery Fund in the places people can’t wait to get back to when it is safe to do so.”

Last December, the National Lottery Heritage Fund and Historic England awarded a £2.9m grant to London’s Alexandra Palace to help save the iconic site from the risk of closure after it was also hit hard by the impact of COVID-19.