More than £18 million awarded in final grants from first round of Culture Recovery Fund

22 heritage organisations and 33 independent cinemas are the latest to receive support from the Culture Recovery Fund.

Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden has announced the final awards to be allocated from the first round of the Government’s £1.57 billion Culture Recovery Fund. The latest grants, awarded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund and the British Film Institute on behalf of the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, build on over £1 billion awarded to a huge range of cultural and heritage organisations last year.

Ambitious projects at 22 heritage organisations will benefit from £13.5 million in targeted grants allocated by the National Lottery Heritage Fund to restart regeneration and maintenance projects that were planned before the pandemic and now face delays or increased costs. This includes five AIM members, who between them will receive over £5.3 million.

33 cinemas across England will benefit from £5 million awarded by the BFI as the final applications for independent cinemas are processed ahead of the second round of the Culture Recovery Fund.

More than 90% of the grants allocated by the National Lottery Heritage Fund have been awarded to heritage projects outside of London, ensuring that the future of important projects at historic places are protected in all corners of England.

The Black Country Living Museum is currently operating as a vaccination centre, however prior to the pandemic the museum had been planning the single biggest development in its history which would create a new area on site exploring the history of the region through the 1940s, ‘50s and ‘60s. A grant of £3,740,000 will help this ambitious project continue, creating opportunities for work and skills development in the local area.

The other AIM members to benefit are:

• North Yorkshire Moors Historic Railway Trust (£296,000)
• The Whitaker (£179,900)
• Beamish (£975,500)
• Thackray Museum of Medicine (£174,600)

You can read the full statement from DCMS and see the full list of recipients here>>