Grant from Shared Prosperity Fund completes funding for St Mary’s Aisle
St Mary’s Aisle is exceptional – the last surviving part of the original parish church that pre-dated the cathedral. Jewel-like windows and a beautiful triptych make it one of the most loved parts of the cathedral, but it has been suffering increasingly from water damage during storms due to its worn-out roof.
An 18-month campaign to raise more than £500,000 for repairs and refurbishment culminated this week with the award of a grant of up to £112,410 from the Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Good Growth Shared Prosperity Fund. This completes the funding package required.
Interim Dean, Simon Robinson, is delighted:
‘We are extremely grateful to the Shared Prosperity Fund for supporting this project to repair St Mary’s Aisle. Thanks to the Fund, other charitable organisations and generous donations from hundreds of local people, this amazing building will be able to continue to be used as a place of worship and host a wonderful variety of community events for many years to come. I am truly grateful to every person who has made a contribution and delighted that we can now get on with the work.’
Sean O’Neill, Chief Operating Officer, added:
‘The scaffolding is going up as I speak! We’ve started work straight away to take advantage of the sunny weather. By next winter, the Aisle will be watertight once more, and once the external works are complete, we will move to refurbish and redecorate the interior. By next summer, the Aisle will once again be looking its best, and available for a wide range of activities for all ages, extending our growing events and activities programme.’
What is the Shared Prosperity Fund?
The UK Shared Prosperity Fund is a central pillar of the UK Government’s Levelling Up agenda. The Fund aims to improve pride in place and increase life chances across the UK by investing in communities and place, supporting local business and people and skills.
The St Mary’s Aisle project is part-funded by the UK Government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund. Cornwall Council has been chosen by the Government as a Lead Authority for the Fund and is responsible for monitoring the progress of projects through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund in Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly.
More details of projects that have already received funding, as well as information about open funding opportunities can be found on the Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Good Growth website www.ciosgoodgrowth.com