National Lottery Heritage Fund team visit St Mary’s
The Cultural Centre and Museum project team were delighted to welcome colleagues from the National Lottery Heritage Fund to St Mary’s at the end of February, providing an opportunity to showcase our plans for the renovated Town Hall.
As we await news of our application for Round 2 funding for the project - which allow us to start the crucial delivery phase - this visit allowed us to shine a light on the benefits of the project to the community.
To fund the project, the Council have made a range of funding bids including one to the National Lottery Heritage Fund for £4,787,803. The NLHF board will meet on during March 2024 to decide whether or not to fund the project.
Ahead of that meeting, the chair of the Board and the case officer came to visit the islands to find out more about the project and meet the people involved.
We hosted Julie Cooper, our NLHF case officer, and Taryn Nixon, the Chair of the NLHF Board considering the submission.
Julie Cooper and Taryn Nixon, National Lottery Heritage Fund
During the one-day visit to St Mary’s, our visitors:
Were given a tour of the site
Met the key members of the project team, and people involved in developing the project so far
Met some of our project champion and key people in the Council involved in developing and backing the project
Received presentations to help them develop a good understanding of the project – including the capital proposals, the engagement and activity plan, and the future use and management of the site– including governance
Were given plenty of opportunities to ask questions about the project
It was vital that the NLHF team met some of our community supporters, and we were pleased to include our Museum Association volunteers, members of the Man Shed and a rep from the local theatre group.
The National Lottery Heritage Fund team were introduced to several colleagues from the Council of the Isles of Scilly, as the lead partner on the project. Led by strategic director for the project Nicola Stinson, Julie and Taryn met Cllr Robert Francis, Cllr Fran Grottick, Cllr Tim Dean, Cllr Steve Sims, Cllr Anita Bedford, Cllr Euan Roger and CEO of the Council, Russell Ashman.
Museum Co-Chair of the Board Ann Tudor talked through the plans for a new home for the Isles of Scilly Museum, and Kate Hale and Rachael Utting from the Museum also met the NLHF visitors. Tammy Bedford and Jeremy Brown - who lead our Culture on Scilly arm and are a key part of the activity planning for the project - gave a presentation on events programming and activity plans.
The visit was supported by a large number of people involved across many aspects of the project and we are grateful for the huge efforts put in by many of our colleagues and community members to make this trip such as a success.
It was an important opportunity to shine a light on our project - showcasing the importance of saving a heritage building, but also showing the benefits to our local community and the difference the Cultural Centre and Museum will make to many people on Scilly.
Our visitors enjoyed lunch from Hugh Street Cafe - and a delicious cake from Beckie’s Cakes
