Richard Holden Welcomes £150,000+ In Emergency Grant Funding For Heritage

Richard Holden Welcomes £150,000+ In Emergency Grant Funding For Heritage

Richard Holden MP today welcomed the news that over £150,000 in emergency grant funding for heritage was split between key projects in his North West Durham constituency.

The Heritage Emergency Fund was instigated in April because of concern about the impact of Coronavirus on Britain’s heritage. Across Britain over £50 Million in grants have been issued with £8,304,400 allocated across 198 projects in the North of England. It is envisioned that the funds will cover key costs including retaining key staff, essential maintenance and utility costs, and supporting with safe reopening.

In North West Durham, Ushaw Historic House, Chapels and Gardens received £60,000, Durham Wildlife Trust (who operate several sites in North West Durham) got £45,700 and Weardale Museum received £45,000. The news of the funding came hot on the heels of the Government’s Culture Recovery Fund which announced a fortnight ago that £862,664 of funding was to be given to Ushaw College and Durham & Darlington Music Education Hub.

Commenting, Richard Holden, MP for North West Durham, said:

“I had the privilege of visiting Ushaw College in January and Weardale Museum during the summer. I know what a valuable job both these institutions provide in terms of maintaining our cultural fabric – backed up by the fantastic teams that run them.

“During the summer I organised a zoom meeting involving various of our local cultural institutions and I have shared various concerns with Government Ministers about the impact of the public health crisis on the arts. At this most difficult of times, it is fantastic that both the Government and the National Lottery are stepping up to the plate and providing essential funding to sustain our cultural life.

“I will continue to campaign for further support for all our local cultural institutions and groups so that they get what they need to get through the global Coronavirus pandemic.”


Get Durham Magazine direct to your inbox

* indicates required

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here