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.
Historic sites including St Margaret’s Church Edgware will receive help to meet ongoing costs and support to restart activity when it is possible to do so safely.
St Margaret’s Church Edgware will receive £23,300 towards the cost of equipment to ensure a COVID-safe environment for community and cultural events held in the church and Truth Hall. Admin and facilities Staff salaries and insurance costs will be covered by the grant for 6 months. New videos will be commissioned to increase confidence that the buildings are safe to return after the national lockdown.
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.
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.”
Rev Sally Baily, Vicar of St Margaret’s, said:
“St Margaret’s has been the central focus for community and cultural events in Edgware for centuries, hosting civic events and community music concerts. We are delighted to be able to stay open for ABRSM music exams this term thanks to this grant. We look forward to hosting community events in December and next year.”
St Margaret’s Church is a Grade II Listed Building. It is the Parish church, a focal point in the town centre, on a busy main street. The Church Tower dates from late C14, the brick work was altered in the 19C when the church was expanded to meet the need of the growing community in Edgware.
Truth Hall, in the church grounds, was built as the original Edgware School in late 19C and is a characterful building of yellow stock brick, with clay tile roof and decorative barge boards to the eaves.
Recent developments (2018-19) have opened up St Margaret’s Churchyard as Community space. This included improving disabled access, installing improved external lighting and natural paths created to access historic features including Commonwealth War Graves.
Edgware is the largest Town Centre in the Borough of Barnet and has no leisure/cultural facilities, nor open heritage buildings except St Margaret’s. These are the only heritage buildings and green space in Edgware Town Centre that are available to the public. This makes this a key location for local culture and connection to the past.
Whilst the church remains closed for public worship during the national lockdown, Truth Hall is remains open for Recovery Support Group meetings 3 times a week. The church will be an exam centre for the ABRSM for the Autumn exams. Many students are looking forward to coming, having missed the opportunity to complete exams in March due to the first national lockdown.
