Andrew Gwynne, MP for Denton and Reddish, has welcomed the National Lottery’s Heritage Emergency Fund to support the heritage sector through the Coronavirus crisis.
The £50 million fund is available for grants of between £3,000 and £50,000 to organisations across the full breadth of heritage, including historic sites, industrial and maritime heritage, museums, libraries and archives, parks and gardens, landscapes and nature.
The majority of heritage organisations are facing temporary closure, severe impact on their revenue and staff shortages. Many face threats to their long-term futures. A small percentage fear they will not be able to last into the summer.
Andrew Gwynne said:
“Heritage is so important as a way of helping us understand our shared history.
“We should all be very grateful to the hardworking heritage sector for keeping the past alive and protecting and preserving our historical sites.
“Like so many other sectors, our heritage sector faces a major threat from the Coronavirus crisis. That’s why I’m so pleased to see the National Lottery step in with this emergency funding.”