£233k lottery grant for Salisbury Cathedral

Salisbury Cathedral is one of 950 organisations to receive emergency help from the Heritage Lottery Fund.

The £233,600 grant will be put towards the running and recovery costs including during and after the coronavirus lockdown.

It's a welcome boost and comes just weeks after the Cathedral launched a public appeal to raise funds after it was closed for four months.

Without any visitor or event income during this period Cathedral bosses predict losses will around £2m this year

Jane Morgan, Director of Development and Communications said:

"We are very grateful to National Lottery Heritage Fund for the emergency assistance. It will help to keep us on an even keel whilst we address the challenges of the pandemic. We have also launched our own Recovery Appeal to tackle the Cathedral's projected £2m shortfall this year and that currently stands at just over £200,000. Along with steady, if limited, visitor numbers, there is some reason to be positive but, as we all know, there is no end in sight yet, and like many other organisations we remain vulnerable. We need to be vigilant and proactive to ensure our Cathedral's future."

Ros Kerslake, Chief Executive of The National Lottery Heritage Fund, said:

"This is the biggest heritage crisis I have seen in my lifetime. 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."