Liverpool Cathedral to receive £281,600 from second round of the Government’s Culture Recovery Fund
Liverpool Cathedral among more than 2,700 recipients to benefit from the latest round of awards from the £1.57 billion Culture Recovery Fund. This award will enable us to support jobs and ensure the maintenance of our building
Liverpool Cathedral in has received a grant of £281,600 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 Liverpool Cathedral in the latest round of support from the Culture Recovery Fund, the Culture Secretary announced today.
Liverpool Cathedral’s much needed award of £281,600 will enable us to maintain our building and secure jobs after what has been a difficult year.
As a Grade I listed building and the largest cathedral in the UK, just keeping the building well maintained, safe, secure and clean costs upwards of £1 million a year – over a third of our regular annual income.
Like so many Liverpool institutions and businesses, the cathedral faces large deficits and has had to take strong measures to secure our financial footing. Recognising our role as an employer in an economically deprived area we have worked hard to preserve jobs. This award gives us more security in an uncertain world.
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 made today 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."
The Very Revd Dr Sue Jones, Dean of Liverpool, said:
“It feels particularly timely that this wonderful news comes so close to Easter. We are thankful for this lifeline from the government. In the most difficulty year of my Christian ministry it is gratifying to receive some help for us to remain serving the city in the many ways we do. We had already taken great steps to survive through this time and there is much still to do. But this lifeline will help us to recover, to secure vital jobs and to keep reaching out to the city.
We are always mindful that we were built by the people, for the people and we want this grant to continue to help us serve Liverpool through being a catalyst for other investment, a place to attract people to the city and a spiritual and cultural focus for the city.”
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.”
Duncan Wilson, Chief Executive of Historic England, said:
“The value of our heritage sites and the people who run them has been amply demonstrated, as they have provided an anchor for so many of us through the dark days of the last year. Vital grants from the Culture Recovery Fund have helped them survive and will now help them recover, as the places we all cherish start to reopen in the months ahead.”
The funding awarded today is from a £400 million pot which was held back last year to ensure the Culture Recovery Fund could continue to help organisations in need as the public health picture changed. The funding has been awarded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund and Historic England as well as the British Film Institute and Arts Council England.