Dispensary gets £300k grant boost
ANCOATS Dispensary is another step closer to becoming the ‘beating heart’ of the community after receiving a £300,000 grant.
Organisers of the project to transform the Grade II-listed landmark into a community hub have been handed the grant by independent charitable trust, Power to Change.
If successful the scheme would turn the 144-year-old former hospital into a community space – hosting events such as bingo, mother and baby sessions and fitness classes.
The funding grant represents a significant milestone for the Ancoats Dispensary Trust, which needs to raise a total of £1.1m.
The trust needs to hit this target to unlock a further £5m from the Heritage Lottery Fund to get the project underway.
In total the project is set to cost around £6m.
Trevor MacFarlane, chairman of the trust, said: “The Power to Change grant is a remarkable endorsement for this visionary project, which will save one of the most significant landmarks of Manchester’s Victorian past.
“With so many heritage buildings in the city meeting an untimely fate, the determination of the people of Ancoats to save this piece of their heritage and map out a vision for its future is exactly what 21st century heritage projects are all about.”
The proposals have been backed by Manchester Central MP Lucy Powell.
She said: “The trust’s plans offer a real opportunity for a community space in the midst of the fantastic housing developments to come, and a new way of doing things led by the community.
“I have met with the Ancoats Dispensary Trust over a number of years and I am so impressed to see the progress they have made.
“They have not been tempted by negativity and blame but have been determined and focused in campaigning for change while working constructively with partners at the Heritage Lottery Fund and also the council.
“Their passion and focus could serve as a model for community action in tough times and as an antidote to the cynicism that says that people can’t make a difference.”
If funding is in place, preliminary work could start at the end of the year.
The trust is continuing to fundraise and will launch a community share offer next year.