Historic cupola will be restored
A HISTORIC church in Hillingdon is among 162 organisations receiving a lifeline grant from the £1.57 billion Culture Recovery Fund.
Historic sites including St John’s Church in Royal Lane will receive help to meet ongoing costs and support to restart activity when it is possible to do so safely.
Lifeline grants from the latest round of the £1.57 billion Culture Recovery Fund will protect a further 162 heritage sites to ensure that jobs and access to arts, culture and heritage in local communities are protected in the months ahead, the Culture Secretary announced today.
More than £9 million has been allocated by the National Lottery Heritage Fund and Historic England on behalf of the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, which builds on £103 million awarded to more significant historic places last month.
Grants between £10,000 and £1 million have been awarded to stabilise 77 organisations. In addition, £5 million will go to construction and maintenance projects that have been paused due to the pandemic.
Historic England has allocated £3,971,513 in awards from the Heritage Stimulus Fund, part of a £120 million capital investment from the Culture Recovery Fund, to restart construction and maintenance projects facing delays or increased costs as a result of the pandemic and save specialist livelihoods in the sector.
St John’s Church, which sits along the A4020 on Hillingdon Hill (opposite The Red Lion and The Vine pubs), has received £24,000 to stabilise the historic cupola on top of the tower.
Culture Secretary, Oliver Dowden, said:“These grants will help the places that have shaped our skylines for hundreds of years and that continue to define culture in our towns and cities. From St Paul’s and Ronnie Scott’s to The Lowry and Durham Cathedral, we’re protecting heritage and culture in every corner of the country to save jobs and ensure it can bounce back strongly.”
Vicar Alan Bradford, said: “St
John’s has certainly shaped the skyline on Hillingdon Hill and as a hub for Hillingdon village, dating back to the early 13th Century.
“Thanks to the Culture Recovery Fund, this historic grade II listed building is now able to have works done to the cupola, the structure at the top of the tower that houses a large bell. This will enable the safe reopening of the building again for the community and visitors, and is part of a programme of works to repair and restore the whole building.”
Duncan Wilson, Historic England Chief Executive said: “Historic places across the country, from Durham Cathedral embodying more than a thousand years of history to the Crystal Palace dinosaurs, much loved by children and grownups alike, are being supported by the Government’s latest round of grants awarded under the Culture Recovery Fund.
“This funding is a lifeline which is kickstarting essential repairs and maintenance at many of our most
precious historic sites, so they can begin to recover from the damaging effects of Covid-19.
“It is also providing employment for skilled craft workers who help to keep historic places alive and the wheels of the heritage sector turning.”