£424,000 lifelines for arboretum and museum
TWO tourist attractions have been handed vital cash lifelines to help keep them afloat during the coronavirus pandemic.
Swadlincote’s Sharpe’s Pottery Museum and the National Memorial Arboretum, in Alrewas, have been handed a total of £424,800 of Government funding to protect cultural heritage sites across the UK.
The news has been welcomed by their local MPS who say it is important to protect these sites for future generations.
The venues were among 450 heritage organisations to receive a share of £103 million of funding, in the first tranche of grants issued from the Government’s Culture Recovery Fund, which was set up to support organisations in England across the heritage sector which are deemed local and national treasures but have fallen on hard times due to the pandemic.
Sharpe’s Pottery Heritage and Art’s Trust has been awarded £127,800 after successfully applying to the fund. The award will also help protect jobs.
South Derbyshire MP Heather Wheeler said: “Sharpe’s Pottery is a fantastic part of our local heritage and I am delighted to see it receive funding which will support them and help them endure this pandemic. It will help with repairs, maintenance and the overall operating of Sharpe’s Pottery.
“Heritage sites are an important part of our local history and it is important that we protect them for future generations and to help young people understand about our past.
“I welcome this new round of funding and hope to see a knock-on effect when it reopens and attracts visitors who will also support other local businesses and in turn, the local economy as a whole.”
The National Memorial Arboretum has been handed £297,000 to enable the 150-acre site to remain viable, despite remaining open only to limited numbers of pre-booked visitors.
Philippa Rawlinson, managing director of the arboretum, said: “Throughout the summer months we welcomed many people to the arboretum following our reopening, many of them eager to enjoy the great outdoors. However, this year has still been financially challenging as we continue to suffer from the loss of income due to our period of closure and the continued limit on visitor numbers.
“This latest grant is invaluable support as we work to secure additional funding and make preparations for the long-awaited day when we can ease restrictions and welcome visitors back in their droves. Our whole team is determined to ensure we remain the nation’s year-round place to remember, freely open to all.”
Lichfield MP Michael Fabricant, who represents Alrewas, said: “The arboretum is a major site in our part of the nation and I am proud to be the MP which represents it.”
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