NEWS RELEASE
For immediate release
The Bala Lake Railway has received £40,000 National Lottery support to help address the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on heritage
The Bala Lake Railway has received £40,000 from The National Lottery Heritage Fund to assist with essential costs during this unprecedented time.
Since the Covid-19 pandemic and lockdown began The Bala Lake Railway, like all tourist attractions in north Wales has been deprived of any opportunity to operate, entertain visitors and earn an income in their limited season. This put fifty years of work preserving railway heritage unique to north Wales and local jobs at risk.
Julian Birley at the Bala Lake Railway said: “Thanks to the National Lottery and its players we can now have a much greater hope of coming through these unprecedented times better and stronger. We’re grateful that The National Lottery Heritage Fund is supporting us at this crucial time – it’s a lifeline to us and others who are passionate about sustaining heritage for the benefit of all.”
The funding, made possible by National Lottery players, was awarded through The National Lottery Heritage Fund’s Heritage Emergency Fund. £50million has been made available to provide emergency funding for those most in need across the heritage sector.
The UK-wide fund was launched to address both immediate emergency actions and help organisations to start thinking about recovery.
Ros Kerslake, Chief Executive of The National Lottery Heritage Fund, said: “Heritage has an essential role to play in making communities better places to live, supporting economic regeneration and benefiting our personal wellbeing. All of these things are going to be even more important as we emerge from this current crisis.
“Thanks to money raised by National Lottery players we are pleased to be able to lend our support to organisations such as The Bala Lake Railway during this uncertain time.”
Like The Bala Lake Railway, other charities and organisations across the UK that have been affected by the unprecedented impact of the coronavirus outbreak are being given access to a comprehensive package of support of up to £600 million of repurposed money from The National Lottery. This money is supporting some of the most vulnerable people in our communities and span the arts, community, charity, heritage, education, environment and sports sectors.
Thanks to National Lottery players, £30 million is raised every week for good causes, including heritage of local and national importance. By playing The National Lottery, people up and down the country are making an amazing contribution to the nationwide-response to combatting the impact of COVID-19 on local communities across the UK.
The National Lottery Heritage Fund is currently open to applications for its Heritage Emergency Fund. To find out more visit: https://www.heritagefund.org.uk/responding-coronavirus-covid-19
To find out more about the National Lottery Good Causes , visit: www.lotterygoodcauses.org.uk/coronavirus-pandemic-response
ENDS
Notes to editors
For further information about The Bala Lake Railway images and interview opportunities, please contact: Julian Birley via 07831 120564 email: jbirley@threejs.co.uk
About the Bala Lake Railway:
The Bala Lake Railway is a narrow gauge railway that runs for 4 1/2 miles along the shores of Bala Lake in the beautiful Snowdonia National Park. Home of the Quarry Hunslet the railway operates the largest fleet of these Victorian built locomotives designed specifically for the slate industry of north Wales. The railway is actively working on a £2.5M plan for a 1km extension into Bala which will benefit the town and the wider community.
(Further information about the railway: www.bala-lake-railway.co.uk and extension to Bala: www.balalakerailwaytrust.org.uk)
About The National Lottery Heritage Fund
Using money raised by the National Lottery, we inspire, lead and resource the UK’s heritage to create positive change for people and communities, now and in the future. www.heritagefund.org.uk #NationalLotteryHeritageFund
The Heritage Emergency Fund remains open for applications for grants ranging from £3,000 to £250,000 until 30 June 2020. Extra advice and support and longer-term skills and capacity building initiatives has also been made available for the heritage sector. Read more about The National Lottery Heritage Fund’s response to the Covid-19 emergency.
About the National Lottery
- Since The National Lottery’s first draw took place on 19 November 1994, more than £40 billion has been raised for good causes in the areas of arts, sport, heritage and community.
- National Lottery players contribute around £30 million to good causes every week.
- The National Lottery has made more than 5,500 millionaires but its primary purpose is giving to good causes - over 565,000 individual grants have been awarded across the UK, that’s the equivalent of 200 life-changing projects in every UK postcode district.