Funding boost to help save heritage organisations across Sussex
A £100m cash pot is being used for vital repair and maintenance work
Heritage organisations across West Sussex are getting a share of more than £100m to help them through the coronavirus pandemic.
445 sites across the country are receiving government money for essential refurbishment work.
It has been described as an "essential lifeline" in making sure those hit financially can stay open and to save jobs and livelihoods.
In Sussex, the sites and organisations include Chichester Cathedral, Chichester Community Development Trust, the Bluebell Railway, Borde Hill Gardens, the Sussex Archological Society and the Wave Leisure Trust.
Chichester Cathedral is to receive £297,000, after forecasting direct losses of £1 million in income linked to the pandemic.
The Dean of Chichester, The Very Reverend Stephen Waine, said:
“We are incredibly grateful to The National Lottery Heritage Fund and Historic England. These funds will support the Cathedral and its community on our journey of recovery.
The Cathedral costs £3,000 a day to maintain. The funds from The National Lottery Heritage Fund and Historic England will contribute towards essential existing job roles and operational activity.”
Across the country, beneficiaries also include famous locations that have starred in film and TV and are huge draws for tourists the world over, such as Gloucester Cathedral - whose cloisters formed the backdrop for Hogwarts in the Harry Potter films - and Highclere Castle - the setting of Downton Abbey.
Grants are between £10,000 and £1 million with a further round of grants of up to £3 million due to be announced imminently.
This funding is from the Culture Recovery Fund for Heritage and the Heritage Stimulus Fund - funded by Government and administered at arms length by Historic England and the National Lottery Heritage Fund. Both funds are part of the Government’s £1.57 billion Culture Recovery Fund which is designed to secure the future of Britain’s museums, galleries, theatres, independent cinemas, heritage sites and music venues with emergency grants and loans.
Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden said:
"As a nation it is essential that we preserve our heritage and celebrate and learn from our past. This massive support package will protect our shared heritage for future generations, save jobs and help us prepare for a cultural bounceback post covid."