• Luke shares information on financial support for heritage organisations
• Craft workers, architects, engineers and surveyors appear to be most vulnerable to COVID-19 effects
• Applicants can apply for grants up to £25,000 to address financial difficulties

Luke has called for South West-based third-sector organisations and voluntary groups managing heritage projects, as well as heritage organisations and self-employed contractors, to apply for a share of the £2m Covid-19 Emergency Response Fund launched by Historic England. This fund is designed to complement the measures already in place by the Government, as well as the National Lottery Heritage Fund’s recently announced £50 million emergency fund.

With eight out of ten respondents to Historic England’s survey in the South West reporting they had lost business in the short term, and five out of ten forced to postpone or cancel income-generating events, Luke has welcomed this support:

“Plymouth and the far south west has some of the best heritage sites in the entire country but we are heavily dependent upon tourism and the income visitors bring to keep these heritage sites maintained. With tourists being advised to stay at home and come back later, we need to ensure that our heritage sites are supported through the virus outbreak. If you work for such a site or an organisation connected to heritage work please look carefully at this scheme to see if you are eligible.”

Details of the fund can be found here.