We are delighted to announce that The Folly will receive £270,500 from the MEND fund, which helps safeguard nation’s cultural heritage.
The Museum of North Craven Life is among more than 60 galleries, museums, libraries and cultural venues to receive help from the Government’s Cultural Investment Fund (CIF). Awarded through the Museums Estate and Development Fund (MEND) strand of the funding, this award will enable major repairs at The Folly, safeguarding public access to our collections.
Galleries, museums, libraries and cultural venues across the country, including the Museum of North Craven Life, are to benefit from almost £50 million of funding which will improve people’s access to the arts, safeguard cultural assets for future generations and power economic growth through culture.
The North Craven Building Preservation Trust has been awarded a grant of £270,500 by the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, delivered by Arts Council England.
This award will enable the trust to repair a major structural defect in the stair tower, which closed the museum for several months last year over fears for public safety. Work to repoint the exterior walls, insulate the roof spaces, reinstate lime plaster and redecorate using traditional paints will ensure that the building can withstand the elements for decades to come.
Arts Minister Lord Parkinson, said:
“Culture is the bedrock of society. It brings people together, entertains and informs us, and helps us to understand our common past and shared future.
“Today we are announcing a raft of new funding for treasured cultural institutions up and down the country.
“This will help them to continue their great work, advance our work to level up access to arts and culture so they can be enjoyed by people no matter where they live, and protect these cherished institutions for future generations to enjoy.”
Heather Lane, Chair of the Building Preservation Trust and the Museum’s Honorary Curator, said:
“We are immensely grateful to DCMS and Arts Council England for supporting The Folly, Settle’s only Grade I listed building and home of the Museum of North Craven Life. This award recognises us as a nationally important heritage asset that plays a vital role in making arts and culture accessible to our local community and visitors alike. Until we received news of this grant the outlook was very bleak, as we could not afford the major repairs that are urgently needed to restore the building and safeguard our collections. MEND funding means we can carry out renovations that will ensure our long-term viability and reduce risk to fabric, collections, staff, volunteers and visitors. Instead of worrying about damp and decay, we can now focus on an exciting new programme of exhibitions and events.
Darren Henley, Chief Executive Officer, Arts Council England, said:
“Our artists, arts organisations, museums and libraries are experts in making villages, towns and cities better places to live, work, visit or play. This investment means they’ll be able to help more people across England to lead happier, more creative lives”.
The Cultural Investment Fund will see £48 million distributed to 63 organisations. It is allocated through three streams: £24 million through the Cultural Development Fund, £18.8 million through the Museums Estate and Development Fund, and £5 million through the Libraries Improvement Fund. The announcement follows a concerted effort by the government to support the country’s vital cultural organisations.
The Museum Estate and Development Fund helps fund museum and local authority infrastructure projects and urgent maintenance works beyond their day-to-day budgets. We still need to raise £10,000 in match funding to complete the work at The Folly, and would like to thank the many people who have already made a generous donation. We look forward to sharing information about the progress of the repairs with visitors over the coming months, and hope that the project will reveal more of the secrets of this remarkable house.
