Lottery win will help make historic building a thriving heritage centre
An organisation set up to fight the destruction of historic Gloucester has won £228,000 to help make one of its most beautiful and overlooked buildings a sustainable visitor attraction.
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An organisation set up to fight the continued destruction of historic Gloucester has won £228,000 to help make one of its most beautiful and overlooked buildings a sustainable visitor attraction.
Gloucester Civic Trust is awarded a £228,000 grant by The National Lottery Heritage Fund to enable a resilient and sustainable Folk of Gloucester.
Gloucester Civic Trust has received a National Lottery Heritage Fund grant of £228,000 for an exciting heritage project called Rebirth of The Folk: Resilient and Sustainable in Gloucester.
Made possible by money raised by National Lottery players, the grant will allow the trust to create three new roles, a CEO, an event duty manager and a marketing and communication lead.
These three positions will work alongside the current staff and volunteers.
The new roles will deliver the management of the building, event booking, community engagement, financial management and staffing.
Supported through The National Lottery Heritage Fund, the grant will also provide additional volunteer and staff training that will enable The Folk of Gloucester to be a thriving community heritage centre embedded in the historical Cathedral Quarter.
Alongside this the grant will enable the trust to upgrade the CCTV and install a new IT system that will streamline the efficiency of the venue, that many people volunteer at, hire and visit.
The Gloucester Civic Trust took on the lease of The Folk of Gloucester with the aim to create a community heritage centre for Gloucester.
This historic building was once the folk museum and a space for everyone, with this funding The Folk of Gloucester will be able to become more resilient to change, enable the additional staff to assist the delivery the business plan and to set goals for the next three years.
Martyn White, chair of Gloucester Civic Trust, said: “We are thrilled to receive this major grant thanks to Lottery players and the trustees of the National Lottery Heritage Fund.
“It is our second grant from the National Lottery and will be transformational. As a small charity supported by our members, volunteers and trustees, the logistics of taking on the challenge of preserving The Folk for the future is daunting.
“This grant enables us to put the operation on a professional footing, delivering our extensive range of community support activities in a unique set of heritage buildings.
“At the same time we can now focus on being resilient to everyday challenges while creating a sustainable management structure to help us look forward with renewed confidence.”
Stuart McLeod, director of England - London & South at The National Lottery Heritage Fund, said: “We are delighted to support this project, which thanks to money raised by National Lottery players, will mean that more people will be able to get involved with, protect, and learn about the exciting heritage right on their doorstep.
“Heritage has a huge role to play in instilling pride in communities and boosting local economies, and this project is a fantastic example of achieving those aims.”
Gloucester Civic Trust was formed in 1972 as a response to continued destruction of historic buildings in Gloucester.
The Trust’s aim is to stimulate public interest in the area, to promote high standards of planning and architecture and to secure the preservation, protection, development and improvement of local features of historic and public interest.
It encourages the appreciation and conservation of Gloucester’s heritage and is a major force in the promotion of city tourism.
Gloucester Civic Trust aims to ensure that regeneration programmes respect and complement Gloucester’s diverse past.
The story above is a press release sent to Raikes in July 2024.
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