Stockport Plaza secures National Lottery Heritage funding

The Stockport Plaza has received funding from The National Lottery Heritage Fund to help it address the impact of Covid-19 on the organisation.

Since the lockdown began in March to curtail the spread of the Covid-19 pandemic, The Stockport Plaza has been closed in line with government guidance. Events including the family pantomime this Christmas have been postponed, and in many cases rescheduled to future dates.

The Stockport Plaza has benefited from £50 million of emergency funding made available by the the National Lottery to heritage organisations across the UK. The Heritage Emergency Fund was aimed to address immediate emergency actions for the sector, as well as support organisations to prepare for their recovery and future. The funding has been raised from the National Lottery players’ ticket purchases who raise £30 million each week which supports good causes and local and national heritage across the UK.

Ted Doan, General Manager at The Stockport Plaza said:

Thanks to the National Lottery and its players we can now continue our preparations for the day when The Plaza which was saved by her community in 2000 can reopen and once again resume its position as the jewel in the artistic crown of the North West. 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.”

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 Stockport Plaza during this uncertain time.”

Like The Plaza, 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.