The Leeds Library To Receive £28,100 From The Second Round Of The Government’s Culture Recovery Fund

The Leeds Library has received a grant of £28,100 from the Government’s £1.57 billion Culture Recovery Fund to help the organisation recover and reopen.

Nearly £400 million has been awarded to thousands of cultural organisations across the country including The Leeds Library in the latest round of support from the Culture Recovery Fund, the Culture Secretary announced today.

The Leeds Library is one of the heritage gems of the city, and the oldest membership subscription Library still in existence in the British Isles. This award will help support the Library in reopening its doors on the 12th April and extend its opening hours to members and visitors over the coming months so that more people can engage with its collections and unique heritage story.

Over £800 million in grants and loans has already been awarded to support almost 3,800 cinemas, performance venues, museums, heritage sites and other cultural organisations dealing with the immediate challenges of the coronavirus pandemic.

This brings the Government's total investment across grants, capital and repayable finance from the Culture Recovery Fund so far to more than £1.2 billion across over 5,000 individual cultural and heritage organisations and sites.

The second round of awards made will help organisations to look ahead to the spring and summer and plan for reopening and recovery. After months of closures and cancellations to contain the virus and save lives, this funding will be a much-needed helping hand for organisations transitioning back to normal in the months ahead.

Culture Secretary, Oliver Dowden, said:
“Our record breaking Culture Recovery Fund has already helped thousands of culture and heritage organisations across the country survive the biggest crisis they've ever faced.

Now we’re staying by their side as they prepare to welcome the public back through their doors - helping our cultural gems plan for reopening and thrive in the better times ahead."

Carl Hutton, CEO of The Leeds Library said:
“Thanks to the Government’s Culture Recovery Fund we can now look to invest in our heritage and open up the Library quickly not just for our members but also for visitors over the coming months so they can engage with our heritage story. We’re grateful that the Government’s Culture Recovery Fund is supporting us at this crucial time – it’s a lifeline for us and others who are passionate about sustaining heritage for the benefit of all.”

Ros Kerslake, CEO of The National Lottery Heritage Fund, said:
"Spring is definitely here, bringing not only sunshine but that sense of optimism and hope for the future. We are all looking forward to heritage places and other visitor attractions reopening and I am very pleased that we have been able to support DCMS in delivering this vital funding to ensure the UK’s heritage sector can rebuild and thrive, boosting local economies, creating jobs and supporting personal wellbeing.”

Duncan Wilson, Chief Executive of Historic England, said:
“The value of our heritage sites and the people who run them has been amply demonstrated, as they have provided an anchor for so many of us through the dark days of the last year. Vital grants from the Culture Recovery Fund have helped them survive and will now help them recover, as the places we all cherish start to reopen in the months ahead.”