Heritage site and events business amongst recipients of government support

The Piece Hall in Halifax has received a grant of £442,700 from the Government’s £1.57 billion Culture Recovery Fund to help the organisation recover and reopen.

The historic building which reopened to the public on Yorkshire Day 2017 has since helped regenerate the town and created a home for 40 small independent retail and food businesses as well as a venue for major events concerts as well as cultural and arts events.

A recent review highlighted the economic impact of The Piece Hall, stating that for every £1 invested in the site it had created a return of £5.30 for the local economy.

This  impact has been recognised in this second round of awards made today, which will help organisations to look ahead to the spring and summer and plan for reopening and recovery.

Alongside The Piece Hall, Acorn Event Structures, Sherburn-in-Elmet, one of the UK’s leading staging and temporary structures companies, has also been supported by the fund through a £4m loan. The funding will enable the business to protect jobs and build a post-Covid-19 resilience plan that will include developing new, innovative techniques for temporary structures.

The latest funding comes from a £400 million pot which was held back last year to ensure the Culture Recovery Fund could continue to help organisations in need as the public health picture changed. The funding has been awarded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund and Historic England as well as the British Film Institute and Arts Council England

In total the Government’s investment across grants, capital and repayable finance from the Culture Recovery Fund so far is over £1.2 billion across 5,000 individual cultural and heritage organisations and sites.

Culture Secretary, Oliver Dowden, said: “Our record breaking Culture Recovery Fund has already helped thousands of culture and heritage organisations across the country survive the biggest crisis they’ve ever faced.

“Now we’re staying by their side as they prepare to welcome the public back through their doors – helping our cultural gems plan for reopening and thrive in the better times ahead.”

Nicky Chance-Thompson DL, Chief Executive of The Piece Hall Trust, said: “Whilst the past year has been hugely challenging for the tourism, retail, culture and heritage sectors, there is now cause for significant optimism. This latest round of the Culture Recovery Fund recognises the inherent importance of heritage and culture’s role in supporting and kick starting the nation’s recovery.

“As an organisation with its history deeply rooted in trade and commerce – the only surviving Georgian Cloth Hall in the world- we look forward to continuing to support our thriving tenant community of independent traders as well as the wider town and Borough. We have a proven track record of contributing significantly to the local economy through our heritage offer and year-round programs of activities. This latest funding from the Culture Recovery Fund will enable us to reopen with some certainty and build reserves to ensure our longer-term sustainability. Importantly, we hope to bring some much-needed joy back to people’s lives and help them to recover from the effects of the pandemic. We are deeply grateful to Government for helping to secure the future of The Piece Hall.”

The announcement of the financial support for the Piece Hall comes after it reported an “exemplar” performance in its first annual review, detailing the period of its 2019-20 financial year. However Covid-19 took its toll on the heritage site, slashing 80% of its income and led to it starting a consultation on redundancies last summer.

Rebecca Nutter, co-founder and director at Acorn Event Structures said: “In March 2020 our order book was at a record high and we were looking forward to providing staging and temporary structures for our regular clients including RHS Chelsea Flower Show, Goodwood Festival of Speed, Creamfields and Frieze Art Fair.

“Covid-19 has had a huge impact on the event, culture, arts and heritage sectors and most of our clients are in these areas. We are grateful for the opportunity the Culture Recovery Fund has provided to help us build a sustainable and resilient future as we come out of this global pandemic.”

Garbutt + Elliott corporate finance director, Stephen Garbett, who led the team which supported Acorn Event Structures to secure the loan added: ““Access to culture and sport is a huge part of millions of people’s recreational lives and is among activities that we often take for granted but that have been hugely missed during the pandemic.

“Acorn Events is among the UK market leaders in providing temporary structures for events enjoyed by millions of people and we have been pleased to work with them to secure the company’s future and protect jobs.”