Sheffield Cathedral has received a grant of £18,300 from the Government’s £1.57 billion Culture Recovery Fund to help the organisation recover and reopen.
Nearly £400 million has been awarded to thousands of cultural organisations across the country including Sheffield Cathedral in the latest round of support from the Culture Recovery Fund, the Culture Secretary announced on 2 April.
Sheffield Cathedral is one of 16 English Cathedrals to have been awarded a grant.
“We are extremely grateful to the National Lottery Heritage Fund and Historic England for their financial support,” said The Reverend Canon Geoffrey Harbord, Acting Dean of Sheffield Cathedral. “We were fortunate to receive a grant from the first round of the Culture Recovery Fund so to receive a second award is a real boost.
“We are no different from any business or organisation feeling the financial impact of COVID-19. In a normal year the Cathedral would welcome in the region of 250,000 people but the doors to the Cathedral and 1554 Coffee and Gift Shop have been closed to visitors. We are now looking forward to welcoming back our congregation, visitors and the wider Cathedral community very soon and we want everyone to feel safe when they do visit. The funding we have received has enabled us to make alterations which will help to make the building a safe place to visit for everyone.
“We have also been able to keep individuals of the Cathedral staff team on site instead of using the furlough scheme. This has been extremely important because they have helped to look after the building and plan ahead for when we will be open again. This includes events such as The Foundry and the Bears of Sheffield this summer and our Christmas Tree Festival and the return of the light show in December.”
Over £800 million in grants and loans has already been awarded to support almost 3,800 cinemas, performance venues, museums, heritage sites and other cultural organisations dealing with the immediate challenges of the coronavirus pandemic.
This brings the Government’s total investment across grants, capital and repayable finance from the Culture Recovery Fund so far to more than £1.2 billion across over 5,000 individual cultural and heritage organisations and sites.
The second round of awards will help organisations to look ahead to the spring and summer and plan for reopening and recovery. After months of closures and cancellations to contain the virus and save lives, this funding will be a much-needed helping hand for organisations transitioning back to normal in the months ahead.
Culture Secretary, Oliver Dowden, said: “Our record breaking Culture Recovery Fund has already helped thousands of culture and heritage organisations across the country survive the biggest crisis they’ve ever faced.
“Now we’re staying by their side as they prepare to welcome the public back through their doors – helping our cultural gems plan for reopening and thrive in the better times ahead.”
Ros Kerslake, CEO of The National Lottery Heritage Fund, said: “Spring is definitely here, bringing not only sunshine but that sense of optimism and hope for the future. We are all looking forward to heritage places and other visitor attractions reopening and I am very pleased that we have been able to support DCMS in delivering this vital funding to ensure the UK’s heritage sector can rebuild and thrive, boosting local economies, creating jobs and supporting personal wellbeing.”
