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Norfolk church projects receive part of £5m funds  

Two Norfolk churches and a Christian conference centre have received part of almost £5m worth of government grants to be given out to arts and heritage groups across Norfolk.

Amongst those to benefit in Norfolk from the Culture Recovery Fund are Letton Hall Trust (£44,100), The Parochial Church Council of the Ecclesiastical Parish of Great Yarmouth (£47,100) and The Cathedral of St John the Baptist Trust (£95,700)
 
Letton Hall, a Christian conference centre in Breckland that usually welcomes hundreds of people from churches and youth groups every year, was forced to close for 15 months during the pandemic and, at times, the future of the centre looked uncertain.
 
Assistant Centre manager Tim Blanche said: "This grant will secure the positions of our staff over the next few months as we move back toward normal operations for the Hall. After so much uncertainty during the last year, it is fantastic to be able to plan with some confidence. This has only been made possible by donations and grants such as this.”
 
“It is great to have it recognised that not only are we caring for a listed building but also that facilities like Letton are a great resource for churches, youth groups and charities and that collectively our sector is important in the life of our nation." 
 
Rev Simon Ward Team Rector, Great Yarmouth Team Ministry, welcomed the grant and said: “The church family are delighted with this news from the Government Culture Recovery Fund. It will allow us to complete some of the routine jobs we have not been able to complete and help our funds to recover some of the lost income. We love to see the doors of the Minster open wide for all people and we look forward to welcoming faces old and new in the coming year. One of the blessings of amazing, historic buildings is that they draw people in and give them a space to wonder and encounter God.
 
Churchwarden, Paul Spychal said: “Our prayers have been answered. We are now in a position to better serve Christ and our local community in Great Yarmouth and welcome more people through our doors.”
 
The Catholic Cathedral of John the Baptist in Norwich has been awarded £95,700 to help the Cathedral recover from the effects of the pandemic and restart tower tours, room hire and musical events. 
 
Thousands of organisations across the UK will receive cash from the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport's (DCMS) Culture Recovery Fund to help them survive and recover from the financial impact of the coronavirus pandemic.
 
This includes 43 groups in Norfolk and six more in Waveney, totalling £4,750,008 in grants. The cash forms the second round of funding from the Culture Recovery Fund, adding to the £3.2m boost for the region's arts announced last October.

Pictured above is Letton Hall Christian conference centre in Mid Norfolk.
 

Keith Morris, 12/04/2021

Keith Morris
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