Gosport MP and Minister of State for Digital and Culture, Caroline Dinenage, is today encouraging eligible local cultural institutions to apply for further funding from the Culture Recovery Fund she helped secure.
So far, over £1 billion has been distributed from the £1.57 billion Culture Recovery Fund, including to those in the Gosport, Portsmouth, Fareham and Southampton areas from Fort Brockhurst to The Portsmouth Naval Property Trust and The Mayflower Theatre. This week, applications have opened again for generous loans of over £1 million and grants worth £250 million for cultural organisations to protect the venue and their staff, as well as help finance the cost to reopen when possible.
The Culture Recovery Fund: Repayable Finance Round Two, which opened on Wednesday, is available for culturally significant organisations to ensure successful applicants are operating fully on a ‘viable and sustainable basis’ by March 31st 2022. The grant applications that opened today are also there to support cultural organisations as they ‘transition back to a viable and sustainable operating model during April-June 2021.’
Caroline commented:
“I am pleased that further funding applications have opened this week for our fantastic cultural organisations who have been hard hit by the pandemic.
“The Cultural Recovery Fund has been a lifeline for so many venues and protected jobs across the country, including our local superstars from Fort Brockhurst and the Hampshire Cultural Trust to The Wedgewood Rooms and The Titchfield Festival Theatre.
“I encourage all those who are eligible to apply for funding to protect their venue and staff, and ensure that they can welcome back visitors with open arms when it is safe to do so.”