Last week, the latest round of the Government’s grants were awarded from the Culture Recovery Fund.
It’s great news that the Forest of Dean has continued to benefit from this fund in this latest round, which has delivered grants and repayable finance to support organisations from across our cherished arts, culture and heritage sectors, to help mitigate the economic impact of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Hundreds of arts, heritage and cultural organisations across England will receive a share from the additional £300 million announced by the Chancellor Rishi Sunak at March’s budget for the Culture Recovery Fund, bringing the total cash support package made available for culture during the pandemic to close to £2 billion.
The Forest of Dean Sculpture Trust is getting a £27,000 grant.
Meanwhile, the Studio Cinema in Coleford is getting more than £34,000 in support – which brings the total amount awarded to them across all rounds from the Fund to £103,687
The Culture Recovery Fund was established to help cultural organisations and heritage sites weather the pandemic, at a time when they were forced to close their doors to visitors and audiences. It has already got £1.2 billion out the door to around 5,000 organisations and sites across the country and this latest round of funding is giving a lifeline to regional theatres, local museums, independent cinemas and many more throughout the winter.
This is a good point to remember that workers, businesses and other organisations across the Forest of Dean have received a share of over £400 billion of support from the Treasury thanks to Chancellor Rishi Sunak’s support packages throughout the pandemic.
That support continued in the recent Budget where the Chancellor effectively cut tax for low-income families by reducing the Universal Credit taper rate, froze fuel duty, increased the National Living Wage by 6.6 per cent to £9.50, boosted pubs by cutting beer duty and simplifying alcohol and draught duty while also cutting business rates by at least 50 per cent next year for 90 per cent of retail, hospitality and leisure businesses – and freezing all rates.
The Chancellor has our back and this is yet more good news for the Forest.