20 Heritage organisations across the Two Cities are set to receive a lifesaving financial boost from the government thanks to the £1.57 billion Culture Recovery Fund to help them through the coronavirus pandemic.
Some of the 20 organisations will share £103 million worth of investment across England to help restart vital repair and maintenance work on cherished heritage sites, to keep venues open and to save jobs and livelihoods.
This vital 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.
Other organisations will receive a share of £67 million from the Culture Recovery Fund for Heritage to help with costs for running, reopening and recovery.
The organisations receiving help from the first tranche of funding across the Two Cities are in alphabetical order:
Barts Heritage, Clio's Company, Creative Mind, Friends of Benjamin Franklin House, London Gardens Trust, PCC of St Magnus the Martyr, St Botolphs Aldgate, St James’s Piccadilly, St Martin in the Fields Trust, St Mary-at-Hill Church, St Paul and St Mark Parochial Church Council, St Vedast-alias-Foster, St. Clement Danes Fund, The Bishopgate Foundation, The Parochial Church Council Of The Ecclesiastical Parish Of St Marylebone With Holy Trinity St Marylebone, The Royal Parks, The Wellington Trust, The West India Committee, War Memorials Trust, Westminster Cathedral
Grants are between £10,000 and £1 million. A further round of grants of up to £3 million due to be announced imminently.
On the funding Nickie Aiken, Member of Parliament for the Cities of London & Westminster said:
“The Two Cities cultural offering is unique not just within the UK but around the world. The areas museums and heritage sites form a crucial part in that offering. Without them, both cities would be significantly less attractive not only to visitors but to those of us that live here.
“I am glad that the government has recognised our areas importance by awarding grants in the first tranche of the Culture Recovery Fund to 20 different organisations with the Two Cities. I will continue pressure the government to recognise our area cultural importance to the UK by supporting it further.”
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 bounce back post covid.”
