Lottery fund support for chapel restoration
Dean Road project awarded £50,900 to take plans forward
The Dean Road Chapel Heritage project has managed to secure National Lottery support.
Dean Road Chapel Ltd, working in partnership with the Friends of Dean Road and Manor Road Cemetery, has received initial support from the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) for the Heritage Hub project.
The plan is restore Dean Road chapel and make it into a mini heritage centre, where people can find out about the history encapsulated in the cemetery and enjoy refreshments in a community cafe.
Thanks to National Lottery players, funding of £50,900 has been awarded to help the group progress its plans to apply for a full grant.
The project will fully restore the building, creating a beautiful space accessible to all, with facilities for educational workshops for local schools and community groups, and an interactive digital database which makes it easy to find out about the lives of many of the fascinating people remembered in the cemetery.
There will be training for people who take up the varied volunteer opportunities that will be offered, including research methods, archive indexing, and catering.
The building, which was built in 1856, and last used for funerals in the 1960s, lost its spire when it was struck by lightning in the 1970s.
The project will bring the chapel back into use for the benefit of the local community.
An open meeting will take place at 7pm on Monday 7 November at St Columba’s Church Hall, Scarborough, where information about the project will be shared and there will be opportunities to give feedback.
Jan Cleary, chairman of Dean Road Chapel Ltd, said “We’re absolutely thrilled that the Heritage Lottery Fund has given us this support. The chapel is a beautiful building that’s the focal point of Dean Road Cemetery. It’s great to know that we’re a big step closer to restoring it and making it into a vibrant heritage hub and cafe.”
Fiona Spiers, head of Heritage Lottery Fund Yorkshire and the Humber, said: “This award is a great opportunity for a creative and imaginative reuse of this beautiful building, and we are delighted that, thanks to National Lottery players, we are able to provide support. We look forward to seeing the detailed proposals in due course.”