by Trevor Dale
Launch of the Cranleigh Heritage Trust and 1170 Charity 1000 Club
Cranleigh Heritage Trust is delighted to announce the launch of our fundraising 1000 club, jointly with the 1170 charity which looks after the St Nicolas Church building.
Any person or business can pay a standing order of £5 per month and every month the draw will be made at random. Half of the ‘pot’ will be paid out as a prize and the other half will be split equally with the charities, so no matter whether there are 30 or 300 subscribers – we will still benefit from the income.
We need to raise some money because the National Lottery Heritage Fund only ever pays a maximum of 90% of the grant and we need to provide a small amount of matched funding. We are a long way towards that target.
The project is progressing well and as I write we are awaiting our progress check from the Heritage Fund. They are ensuring we are on track to submit the full application in August and anticipating a decision, positive of course, in December.
Letters of support from across the community continue to arrive and especially from potential users of the finished facility, with a focus on health and wellbeing of course.
Our team have been networking with providers of services such as special educational needs, dementia sufferers and their carers and physiotherapy needs.
We have also had estimates for reducing running costs of the cottage. Some of the innovative solutions are quite outstanding. We are investigating an advanced infra-red heating solution which will be invisible in its installation and secondary double glazing that is also remarkably unobtrusive.
We had a visit from a specialist in renovation of old glass and leaded lights. His exclamations of the rarity and importance of some of the glass panels was a joy to behold. We are hoping to record his description of how the glass was made in days gone by and use it as part of the heritage displays.
Representatives of Surrey Historic Buildings Trust visited recently and not only expressed their support for the project, and the sensitive interior alterations planned, but have suggested they may be able to offer a generous grant.
We are very grateful to Cranleigh Rotary Club for a donation which in time will be used to develop the front garden to display the medicinal plants that would have been used in the 1800’s and also make the pathways disability-friendly.
FURTHER SUPPORT FOR THE PROJECT
There are many opportunities for enthusiastic volunteers to join the project. This promises to be a rewarding challenge for those with an interest in history and heritage, or in helping people. Please contact us by phone, 01483 272987, letter or email to;
If you are a charity, business or therapist please do contact us to register your interest. We need long-term partners, and the Heritage Fund panel needs us to show them how we are engaging with our community.
To register an expression of interest in future use of the facilities please do write to us with the following information:
1. Brief description of what you offer and the benefits to clients and customers.
2. Say if and where you currently offer this service and why people would use the cottage to meet you.
3. Brief declaration of support for the project in general.
4. Return name and address and any website or social media links.
Thank you so much! Trustees Trevor Dale – Chair; Howard Barratt; Jane Briggs; Chris Bulley; Sue Dale; Nigel West. Advisors Bob Callard – architect; Joanna James – business advisor, Michael Miller and Joy Horn, History advisors.
Scan the QR code. Visit our website www.cranleighheritagetrust.org.uk
