Historic building’s £78k for vital work

A HISTORIC building has received a £78,700 Lotto boost to help with its essential restoration work.

Great Meeting Chapel on East Bond Street, Leicester, has received a National Lottery Heritage Fund grant of £78,700 for its heritage project, An Inner-City Gem Restored and Revealed.

Supported by the Lottery, as well as Leicester City Council and congregational donors, the project will enable the essential restoration of the 1708 building’s exterior and Georgian plaster ceiling, as well as funding a programme of heritage outreach including school visits, concerts, open days, heritage talks and a history course.

In addition, the Chapel’s garden will be improved with new planting and ecological measures.

Great Meeting Chapel is Leicester’s oldest domestic brick building, is grade II-listed and has many architectural features. It is also associated with a long history of religious dissent and reform, and in the 19 th century played an important part in the transformation of politics in Leicester.

Chairman of Chapel, Mike Drucquer said: “We are thrilled to have received this support thanks to National Lottery players and are confident that the project will both restore and reveal the heritage of the Chapel to a wide range of Leicester people and visitors.

“We have a really fascinating story to tell about the Chapel and the funding for this project will enable us to do that.”

The Chapel will be open to visitors for the Heritage Open Days on the weekend of September 11 and 12, from 10am to 5pm, when the restoration will be explained in full to visitors. On the Saturday there will be a “Tea in the Garden” event with refreshments, Chapel tours and live music.

Events will be announced on the Chapel’s website: