National Lottery Heritage Fund helps 950 organisations

More than 950 organisations across the UK have received emergency grants from the National Lottery Heritage Fund to help them survive the initial impact of COVID-19.

The £50m Heritage Emergency Fund was set up as an immediate response to lockdown in late April recognising that the UK’s heritage would need significant help to survive the early impact of the COVID-19 epidemic.

Since then 961 grants have been awarded to stabilise organisations, covering costs including core staff salaries, essential maintenance and utility costs and costs to help with safe reopening.

Over half (56%) of those who received Heritage Emergency Fund grants had just three months or less in their cash reserves.

One of the recipients was Glastonbury Abbey (pictured), which received £217,500 to help maintain the ruins and grounds in anticipation of visitors returning and  to provide PPE for front of house staff.

‘This is the biggest heritage crisis I have seen in my lifetime,’ said fund chief executive, Ros Kerslake.

‘Every area of heritage we support has been severely affected, from wildlife trusts and gardens to museums and historic railways. Many of the places we know and love faced permanent closure within weeks of the start of lockdown.

‘We realised that heritage would need significant support to survive, and we have worked incredibly hard to provide a lifeline and get grants out of the door in record time. We cannot save everyone and challenges still lie ahead, but we are grateful that, thanks to National Lottery players, we have been able to help so many.’

Heritage minister Nigel Huddleston, added: ‘I have heard first-hand about some of the huge challenges facing our historic sites, collections and groups throughout this crisis, so I know these grants will be lifelines for places of heritage and all those involved in preserving them for the public.

‘The publicly-funded Heritage Emergency Fund supported places and people across the UK through the immediate impact of the pandemic and our £1.57bn Culture Recovery Fund will build on this valuable foundation to support organisations in the months ahead.’

Photo Credit – Lekies (Pixabay)