We have been awarded £267,462 by The National Lottery Heritage Fund!
Stricklandgate House Trust has successfully received initial support of £267,462 through a development grant for our project Stricklandgate House 4 Sustainable Heritage (SGH4SH): Where heritage meets the day-to-day.
The project, made possible by National Lottery players, will enable the Trust to develop exciting plans to conserve and celebrate the heritage of Stricklandgate House, secure its future and enhance its value to the wider community.
Our beautiful building, Stricklandgate House is Grade II Listed and an outstanding example of Georgian architecture with many of its original features remaining intact. But, beyond its architectural value, through the ages Stricklandgate House has had a rich and varied history and a significant impact on the town.
It is now a centre for the Charitable Sector and home to 18 charitable organisations who support local culture, heritage and the welfare and care needs of local people. It is also home to the Kendal Civic Society’s exhibition.
Our building has experienced many, often unsympathetic alterations and extensions over time, now, it is in need of repair to preserve it for future generations.
Our aim is to improve accessibility and the environmental sustainability of Stricklandgate House, create a Community Hub, exhibition space, and enhance the current office and conference facilities.
John Leigh and Margaret Belk, joint Chairs of the Board of Trustees say:
“We are beyond thrilled to have received this initial support from The National Lottery Heritage Fund. Thanks to the money raised by National Lottery players we can now develop much needed plans for essential conservation work on our wonderful Georgian building and share its fascinating history and heritage with all our communities. We can’t wait to make Stricklandgate House a really important heritage and community asset. To say that we were bowled over by the news is an understatement!”
The National Lottery supported project will enable further community consultation, research, architectural design work and help progress plans through planning. It will also allow us to co-design and pilot heritage and community activities and events in partnership with volunteers, local groups and the wider community.
During the development phase, we will need to raise significant match funding to unlock future investment. Future success would bring an estimated investment of c£4.5 million to Kendal and the wider Westmorland and Furness area, unlocking the opportunity to bring more visitors to the town and boost the local economy.
Helen Featherstone, Director, England, North at The National Lottery Heritage Fund said:
“Investing in heritage means investing in the community it belongs to, which is why, thanks to National Lottery players, we are proud to support the first-round development phase of this project that will enable Stricklandgate House Trust to research, consult and draw up plans to conserve the Grade II Listed building.”
A launch event will be hosted in the coming months to kick start community consultations, offering an opportunity for further research and sharing of plans.
There will also be opportunities for volunteering and for other local charities that support heritage, community and wellbeing to get involved.
We will be posting further information as we progress, here on our website and through our social media.
Getting to this milestone is thanks to support from the Community Fund and the Frieda Scott Trust. Stricklandgate House are also grateful to Westmorland and Furness Council and Kendal Town Council for their funding contribution to this next exciting stage of project development.
Cllr Helen Chaffey, Chair, South Lakeland Locality Board, Westmorland and Furness Council says:
“The South Lakeland Locality Board of Westmorland and Furness Council are very pleased to have contributed to this stage of the project. The Board and Council recognise the great opportunity to increase the community’s involvement with the heritage of Stricklandgate House and are very interested in working with the project to explore this further. The project will represent investment in the cultural, heritage, civic and social wellbeing of the area and compliments the Council’s Plan, placing people at the centre of everything we do.”
The National Lottery Heritage Fund
The National Lottery Heritage Fund is the largest funder for the UK’s heritage. Using money raised by National Lottery players we support projects that connect people and communities to heritage. Our vision is for heritage to be valued, cared for and sustained for everyone, now and in the future. From historic buildings, our industrial legacy and the natural environment, to collections, traditions, stories and more. Heritage can be anything from the past that people value and want to pass on to future generations. We believe in the power of heritage to ignite the imagination, offer joy and inspiration, and to build pride in place and connection to the past.
Follow @HeritageFundUK on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram and use #NationalLotteryHeritageFund www.heritagefund.org.uk