English Heritage is one of 445 heritage organisations which will receive a financial boost from the government’s £1.57 billion Culture Recovery Fund to help them get through the coronavirus pandemic, it was announced today, Friday 9th October 2020.

The £2.9m will support works at more than 50 English Heritage sites, including roof repairs at Bolsover Castle in Derbyshire and Ranger's House in Greenwich, masonry works at Furness Abbey in Cumbria, and improving access to the ancient Neolithic pits at Grimes Graves in Norfolk and the legendary beach at Tintagel Castle in Cornwall.

As well as English Heritage, funding specifically from the Heritage Stimulus Fund will enable 11 other organisations, including Landmark Trust, Historic Royal Palaces and the Canal and River Trust, to restart construction and maintenance on cherished heritage sites; to preserve visitor attractions and protect livelihoods for some of the most vulnerable heritage specialists and contractors in the sector.

This vital boost for Heritage is funded by Government and administered at arms length by Historic England and the National Lottery Heritage Fund. Both funds (Heritage Stimulus Fund and Culture Recovery Fund for Heritage) are part of the Government’s £1.57 billion Culture Recovery Fund which is designed to secure the future of Britain’s museums, galleries, theatres, independent cinemas, heritage sites and music venues with emergency grants and loans.

Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden said: "As a nation it is essential that we preserve our heritage and celebrate and learn from our past. This massive support package will protect our shared heritage for future generations, save jobs and help us prepare for a cultural bounceback post covid."

Kate Mavor, Chief Executive of English Heritage, welcomed the news: "This support for our nation’s heritage is fantastic news. Over the last few months, our teams have been working hard to welcome visitors back safely to the great castles, stone circles, abbeys and historic houses in our care. This funding will help us invest to safeguard the historic fabric of these much-loved places, which everyone can learn from and enjoy."

Duncan Wilson, Historic England’s Chief Executive said: "It is heartening to see grants, both large and small, from the Government’s Culture Recovery Fund helping heritage sites and organisations across the country which have been hit hard by the effects of Covid-19. These grants range from giving skilled craft workers the chance to keep their trades alive to helping heritage organisations pay the bills, and to kick-starting repair works at our best-loved historic sites. The funding is an essential lifeline for our heritage and the people who work tirelessly to conserve it for us all, so that we can hand it on to future generations."

Ros Kerslake, Chief Executive of the National Lottery Heritage Fund said: "It is absolutely right that investing in heritage should be a priority during this crisis and this support by Government is crucial. Heritage creates jobs and economic prosperity, is a major driver for tourism and makes our towns, cities, and rural areas better places to live. All of this is so important for our wellbeing and will be particularly vital when we start to emerge from this incredibly difficult time.

"Our heritage is still facing a perilous future – we are not out of the woods yet. But this hugely welcome funding from Government, and the money we continue to invest from the National Lottery, has undoubtedly stopped heritage and the organisations that care for it being permanently lost."