Berwick Barracks project scoops further funding
07 Nov 2022 ARCHIVED (over 3 months old) - view latest news
A £476,000 grant from The National Lottery Heritage Fund has been awarded to English Heritage on behalf of the Berwick Barracks Partnership.
The funding is yet another step forward in delivering a long-term project to transform Berwick Barracks, enabling the partners to better tell the Barracks’ dramatic and intriguing story, and creating a vibrant cultural hub for the town of Berwick.
The £476K grant, a development grant which will hopefully lead to a further, multi-million bid to the Heritage Fund in 2024, follows on from £4.2 awarded from the Arts Council‘s Cultural Development Fund in March of this year and £1.1 million already committed by Northumberland County Council.
The Berwick Barracks Partnership was formed by organisations with a shared vision to transform the Barracks into a thriving cultural hub, connecting the Barracks with the local community and visitor destination. Chaired by English Heritage, the group includes Berwick Barracks Heritage Trust, The King’s Own Scottish Borderers, Northumberland County Council and the Maltings (Berwick) Trust.
The first phase of the partnership’s vision will see the creation of a striking new home for visual art and the King’s Own Scottish Borderers Regimental Museum on a single landmark site, alongside studio spaces for local artists and makers with more opportunity for showing and selling work and community engagement. Meanwhile Northumberland County Council will be relocating Berwick Archives into the Barracks. A consultation began in the summer of 2021 and received widespread support.
The total funding necessary for the cultural elements of the project is likely to be around £12 million. The vision for the whole site includes developing a café within the Officers Mess and residential apartments in the remaining blocks, bringing the whole site back into use.
Andrea Selley, Territory Director for the North at English Heritage said: “The Living Barracks project presents an exciting opportunity for English Heritage and our partners to breathe new life into Berwick Barracks. The backing of The National Heritage Lottery Fund is an extremely important milestone in this project, and I would like to thank them and the National Lottery players for their support. It brings the vision of the Berwick Barracks partnership one step closer.”
Cllr Jeff Watson, Cabinet Member for Culture and Tourism at Northumberland County Council, said: "We’re delighted with this announcement which brings the long-term plans for Berwick Barracks another step closer. Berwick’s cultural offer continues to grow, and thanks must go to The National Lottery Heritage Fund for their generous contribution which helps us towards our shared vision of a new cultural hub for the town.”
Angus Loudon, Chair of the King’s Own Scottish Borderers Trustees, said: “We are delighted with this most generous award by The National Lottery Heritage Fund which will allow us, as part of the wider planned refurbishment of the Barracks site for the longer-term, to develop an exciting proposal for a major reworking of our regimental museum and allow us to showcase our outstanding collection to best effect’’.
Ros Lamont, Executive Director at The Maltings (Berwick) Trust said: “We’re proud to be playing an active role in the partnership delivering the Living Barracks vision for Berwick Barracks, and this National Lottery Heritage Fund investment is exciting news - enabling real and lasting change that will benefit our whole community."