£800,000 Covid recovery boost for cathedral
Durham Cathedral has received a grant of £812,200 from the Government’s latest round of the Culture Recovery Fund to help it recover from the impact of the Covid pandemic.
The cathedral will use the cash for essential operating costs as visitor numbers and income continue to recover to sustainable levels, care for the cathedral’s historic buildings and collections, and deliver a programme of events to engage visitors.
Andrew Tremlett, the Very Reverend Dean of Durham welcomed the news, saying :“The Culture Recovery Fund has delivered the greatest possible gift to Durham Cathedral – stability and capacity that will allow us to enter 2022 full of optimism. Although the last two years have not been without challenges, generous support from the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport and the National Lottery Heritage Fund allowed us to use the time as an opportunity to transform how we work and ensure we continue to be a welcoming and safe space for our community.”
He added: “This continuity of funding will allow the cathedral to plan and deliver more spectacular events as we celebratethe arrival of the Lind is far ne Gospel s to the region and continue to protect and care for this magnificent building.” The cathedral is one of nearly 140 heritage organisations to benefit from £15.5million this Christmas from the
Government’s Culture Recovery Fund for Heritage. Ros Kerslake, chief executive, of the National Lottery Heritage Fund, said: “This latest round of funding provides a welcome Christmas boost for heritage organisations. With the situation changing daily, the funding will be crucial in helping heritage sites navigate their seasonal activities .”