One of our parishes is to be the recipient of new funding from the Culture Recovery Fund.
Dewsbury Minster is one of 445 heritage organisations across the country set to receive a lifesaving financial boost from the government thanks to the £1.57 billion in the Culture Recovery Fund, designed to help culturally vital places and spaces through the coronavirus pandemic.
£68,200 will be used to by the Minster to help rebuild lives in the community in a COVID-Secure environment.
This vital funding is from the Culture Recovery Fund for Heritage and the Heritage Stimulus Fund – funded by Government and administered at arms-length by Historic England and the National Lottery Heritage Fund.
Both funds 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.
Revd Simon Cash, Team Rector of the Dewsbury Team Parish, said: “What we have is a building which has space, people, and nearly 1400 years of experience, plus bundles of Faith, Hope and Charity.
“What we aim to do is to help people in the community recover from the effects of COVID-19 by providing a COVID-secure environment to support individuals and the organisations that serve them.
“We want to provide space and opportunity for emotional wellbeing recovery for people who are in need of psychological support.
“The Minster, the Destination 211 Bus Ministry and the other Churches in the team aim to stay COVID-free.
“There is a new future that needs to be built from the ground up.
“We want to work with the people of Dewsbury to make this happen.
“We will be working with small charities who themselves need support to be effective in providing for those who are in need: specifically those providing beds for children, meals for children when they are not at school and support for children who are struggling to engage with their education.
“We also want to offer free space for performing artists who need a COVID-Secure space from which to reach their audience, and be a venue suitable for small live audiences.”