A Thirty-Year Headache Solved!
Coldharbour Mill have been granted £495,000 by the Museum Estate and Development Fund
Coldharbour Mill is one of more than 70 cultural organisations across the country have been given a financial boost by the government to improve people’s access to arts and support local economic growth through culture while safeguarding vital local collections for future generations.
The fund, which totals more than £200 million and was launched in 2019, is made up of three separate streams, the Cultural Development Fund, the Libraries Improvement Fund and the Museum Estate and Development Fund. It is designed to protect and improve people’s access to culture, regenerate communities, upgrade buildings and digital infrastructure and use investment to promote economic growth.
Coldharbour Mill are thrilled to have been awarded £495,000 of funding in order to tackle a backlog of urgent maintenance issues to the Estate, this includes replacing the Mill’s main fire escape part of which had been condemned for over 30 years closing off more than 25% of the Victorian Factory. In addition, other urgent maintenance will be completed, seeing the leat bridges replaced and the Mill Yard re-surfaced allowing for greater access across the estate for our visitors and volunteers, and the outside staircase to the Carpenters workshops will be replaced.
This funding will see us tackle this significant maintenance backlog, which had been exasperated by the Covid-19 pandemic, and will lead to transformational change for Coldharbour Mill.
This funding will allow Coldharbour Mill Trust to progress its plans laid out in ‘Coldharbour Mill Vision 2032’, our ten-year vision for the progress of Coldharbour Mill. Dealing with these maintenance issues and repairs are key to making Coldharbour Mill financially self-sufficient and allowing Coldharbour Mill to remain relevant to our audiences into the future. This will be one of the first steps for Coldharbour Mill as we continue on our journey towards Vision 2032, a massive leap forward in securing the future of the Mill and continuing to share our heritage with future generations.