£7.5 million boost for UK heritage

Submitted by jonbauckham

Thu, 2012-10-25 09:00

UK-based heritage organisations will be able to apply for funding of up to £1 million as part of the Catalyst: Endowments scheme

Thursday 15 November, 2012
Read more from our news section

Heritage organisations will be able to apply for funding of up to £1 million in the second round of a major endowment scheme.

The Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) today announced a second round of Catalyst: Endowments grants, which will be awarded in May 2013. Heritage organisations can apply for either £500,000 or £1 million, using the money to build new endowment funds or developing existing ones.

As a result, it is hoped that the organisations – likely to be museums, galleries and historical sites – will be able to diversify their sources of income. For every pound a successful grantee raises from a private or philanthropic source, the HLF will match it, up to £1 million.

The announcement follows a successful first round of grants, which were awarded by the Fund back in June. Among the 16 organisations to benefit were the Arnos Vale Cemetery Trust, which received £500,000. The money is now being used towards a restoration of the Victorian site’s 25 Grade II and Grade II* listed monuments, as well as preserve its memorials to more than 600 British and Allied soldiers from the Second World War.

Although the grants are part of the wider 'Catalyst' programme – a partnership initiative between the HLF, the Department of Culture, Media and Sport and Arts Council England – the £7.5 million on offer will come solely from the HLF.

“We are all operating in an extremely challenging economic landscape so building financial resilience is vital to ensure the future of our precious buildings, landscapes and collections,” says Dame Jenny Abramsky, Chair of the HLF.

“Due to the high demand for the first round of endowments awarded this year, Trustees have decided to increase the money available in this final round to £7.5 million. This will enable more of the custodians of our heritage get fit for the future.”

The HLF’s Catalyst: Endowments programme opens today and applicants have until 31 December to register to apply. The deadline for full applications will be 28 February 2013 and awards will be made in May 2013.

TAKE IT FURTHER

► Learn more about the scheme at the Heritage Lottery Fund website

WDYTYA: Forum