Ten South West businesses including Tavistock’s Wharf and Bath’s famous Roman Baths have secured about £1.9million via the Government’s Culture Recovery Fund.
Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden has announced the final awards from the first round of the £1.57billion Covid support scheme, adding to the £1billion given to a wide range of organisations in 2020.
There is £1.8million for five projects in the South West, including £1.2million for three schemes in Bath. This comprises £534,000 for Bath Abbey, £359,600 for and £290,000 for Cleveland Pools Trust, which means its restoration into a community asset can still go ahead despite the pandemic.
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The Grade II* listed site is one of the oldest surviving outdoor lidos in Britain and visitors of all ages will be able to swim in the redeveloped crescent pool all year round from 2022.
Elsewhere, the bid to regenerate Swanage Pier has secured £469,800 while the Guildhall Gateway Project in Tavistock has been awarded £130,900.
Meanwhile, 33 independent cinemas across England will benefit from £5million awarded by the British Film Institute, including five in the South West.
Four of these will receive more than £100,000 between them – the Rex Cinema in Wareham (£52,606), Westlands Entertainment Venue in Yeovil (£33,133), (£14,399) and the Regal Cinema in Wadebridge (£5,625). Reel Cinemas has been awarded £1.5million to cover 13 locations, including Chippenham.
Across the country, 22 organisations will benefit from £13.5million in targeted grants allocated by the National Lottery Heritage Fund.
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The funding will enable organisations to restart ambitious regeneration and maintenance projects that were planned before the pandemic and now face delays or increased costs.
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In 2020, the Government to prevent the curtain coming down for good.
Among the Culture Recovery Fund. Recipients were WTW Cinema Ltd’s venues in St Austell, Truro and Newquay, where the White River Cinema, the Plaza and Lighthouse received £171,566 each.
Other movie houses helped included Plymouth Arts Centre’s cinema, which was given £51,789, Newton Abbot’s Alexandra, which benefited from £42,143m and Totnes Cinema, which had £63,148.
The Watermark, in Ivybridge, received one of the smaller grants, £7,164, while Merlin Cinemas received £69,200 for each of its theatres in Redruth, Wellington, Tiverton, Coleford, Penzance, St Ives, Falmouth, Okehampton, Kingbridge, Helston, Ilfracombe, Torquay and Bodmin.
Plymouth Theatre Royal was also from the Culture Recovery Fund in October.
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Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden said: “From restoring Georgian lidos and Roman Baths to saving local screens and synagogues, our Culture Recovery Fund is helping to save the places people can’t wait to get back to, when it is safe to do so.
“All over the country, this funding is protecting the venues that have shaped our history and make us proud of our communities, whilst safeguarding the livelihoods of the people that work in them.”