Herefordshire praised for £14-million funding success

Herefordshire Council's funding experts have helped secure £14 million in Heritage Lottery Fund grants over the last five years with 172 separate awards. The funding officers helped communities to develop good quality applications, which have been more successful in recent years.

Herefordshire was identified in 2002 as a 'priority development area' by the West Midlands region of the Heritage Lottery Fund because of levels of deprivation in some areas of the county, its rural isolation and the fact that it had a low level of Heritage Lottery funding previously. In 2002 the funding per person for Herefordshire was £10.42 below the national average but by 2007 it had that has now increased to £12.61 above the national average.

Anne Jenkins, regional manager for the Heritage Lottery Fund, commented: "The increase in awards would not have been possible without the dedication and professionalism of the council's funding officers who have been instrumental in promoting and supporting projects throughout the whole of the county.

"We are pleased to see that after the concentrated work over the last five years, Herefordshire is no longer identified as a priority development area and has, in fact, become one of the most successful local authorities within the region in terms of accessing Heritage Lottery funding".

Out of the 172 Heritage Lottery Fund awards in Herefordshire over the last five years, recent highlights are the £1.2million grant to help extend Hereford's Friar Street Museum, to include a new learning centre, and the £4.2 million awarded to restore Hereford's Cathedral Close. Other projects include grants to the Leominster Folk Museum, to promote reminiscences of life in the market town, and the Longtown Historical Society, where money was won to record farming memories in the Golden Valley.

Councillor Adrian Blackshaw, cabinet member for economic development and community services, added: "The council's efforts to secure funding for important projects often goes on behind the scenes. So it is gratifying to see recognition for the hard work and success of employees who are experienced in working with our partners and the community to create high quality applications for Heritage Lottery funding, which provide a lasting benefit to the community".

Clare Wichbold, of Herefordshire Council's community regeneration team, said: "We have really enjoyed working on a wide range of heritage projects and working with some wonderful people in the process. The support of the Heritage Lottery Fund has made such a strong difference to what we have been able to achieve in Herefordshire".