Latest news with #CouncilEngland
BBC News
05-03-2025
- Business
- BBC News
Fashion Museum Bath gets grant for online catalogue project
The Fashion Museum Bath has been awarded a grant to help it develop a new online catalogue museum closed in 2022 for a major refurbishment, and is not expected to reopen in its new home until Council England's £20,000 grant will help the venue create a searchable catalogue, in collaboration with the local library McKinlay, Fashion Museum Bath project director, said the grant would help the team rethink how its collection can be experienced for future generations. The collection at Fashion Museum Bath spans across four centuries of work, from 1600 to the modern era, and was moved in 2022 to Dents heritage glovemakers in Warminster while the new venue is developed, meaning there is only limited public people will co-create the catalogue, along with Bath and North East Somerset Libraries, focussing initially on the Dress Of The Year McKinlay added: "We are excited to embark on this journey to create the museum's first searchable online catalogue starting with the Dress of the Year collection. "By creating an online catalogue, we aim to set a new standard in cultural preservation and accessibility."It marks an exciting moment in our ambition to make Fashion Museum Bath accessible to all."Councillor Paul Roper, Cabinet Member for Economic & Cultural Sustainable Development, said the council was "delighted" to get the grant, adding it will support creative jobs in the city. Emmie Kell, director of museums and Cultural Property at Arts Council England, said: "This is great news for public access to one of the most important fashion collections in the country."As the Fashion Museum undergoes transformation, the digitisation of its archives will ensure ongoing public access to its unique Designated collections."I'm especially pleased to hear young people will be part of the process... a project sure to support the museum's next exciting chapter."
BBC News
22-02-2025
- BBC News
Tamworth Castle get £1.7m for urgent repairs to crumbling walls
Tamworth Castle in Staffordshire is set to receive £1.7m of grant funding for urgent repairs and Council England's Museum and Development Fund has allocated the funds as part of almost £25m funding for 29 museums the Midlands, more than £5 million has been awarded across four Castle was originally built in the 1080s, and in its most recent form is a museum showcasing the building's 900 years of history - including items from the Anglo-Saxon Staffordshire Hoard. The money will allow Tamworth Borough council, the castle's owners, to make urgent repairs and ensure it remains safe for the public to year it was announced that the castle had been added to Historic England's at-risk register due to structural to the castle's curtain wall took place in 2023, and last year repairs were carried out on the bandstand in the castle Knott, Midlands area director at Arts Council England, said: "We want people across Tamworth and beyond to experience, enjoy, discover and learn from our fantastic regional museums and galleries."He added: "We're pleased to be supporting Tamworth Castle to make vital building improvements to protect the castle and its collections for future generations."Councillor Lewis Smith from Tamworth Borough Council said the grant would enable urgent repairs throughout the building."This essential work will make sure our heritage attraction remains safe to the public, allowing our great monument to continue standing proud as a huge part of Tamworth's rich history," he said. Follow BBC Stoke & Staffordshire on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.
BBC News
29-01-2025
- Entertainment
- BBC News
Sacha Lord: Nightlife boss's firm must return £400k Covid grant
A £400,000 grant given to an events company co-owned by Greater Manchester's nighttime economy adviser has been pulled following a review, as Sacha Lord announced he has decided to leave the Council England said it was seeking to recover the funds awarded to Primary Event Solutions during the coronavirus pandemic following analysis of how the cash was Lord, who was appointed to advise mayor Andy Burnham, said the funds were used appropriately but there had been "a small number of unintended oversights".The Parklife festival founder used the same statement to confirm he was standing down, saying recent months had taken an "emotional toll" on him and his family. Mr Lord, who also helped launch the Warehouse Project dance music events, said he was "concerned over inconsistencies and a lack of proportionality" in how the review was handled. "The length of time taken to bring the matter to a close raises cause for concern and these delays have taken a significant, personal toll on myself and my family," he said. He said the effect on his family life had been "deeply troubling" and had "only reinforced the importance of protecting and spending more time with my loved ones during this period of my life as a new father".He continued: "I am incredibly proud of what we have achieved as a city-region - earning recognition as the night-time capital of the UK, ranking eighth in the World's Best Cities for nightlife, surpassing global destinations like Budapest and Buenos Aires, and successfully introducing initiatives which will transform our nightlife for the better."Mr Burnham confirmed he had accepted his adviser's resignation and praised him as a "brilliant and vocal champion" who had supported the city in the role "out of his own pocket"."Sacha has accepted there were inaccuracies in a grant application, and I believe him when he says there was no intention to mislead and that he made no personal gain from the grant," he Lord owned a minority share in Primary Event Solutions, which is now in liquidation. It was given £401,928 the Arts Council-administered Culture Recovery Fund in 2021, as scheme offering grants from £50,000 up to a maximum of £3m to help the heritage and culture sector during the Covid-19 pandemic. 'Concerns raised' An initial arts council probe in 2022 into alleged fraud over the firm's bid found no evidence no misuse of public additional checks began in May 2024 after the body received new information about the bid. It came as news website The Mill raised questions about the extent of the company's role in creative events, which the firm "vehemently" rejected."We take our role as custodians of public money very seriously" the Arts Council said following the decision to withdraw the grant. "If concerns are raised to us about a grant application or award, we investigate and take the appropriate action." Mr Lord said the firm had worked closely with the Arts Council to show fund had been used "appropriately to support staff wages and company stability during the pandemic".He said the funds also supported a streaming event that raised £583,000 for local cultural organisations, businesses and individuals affected by lockdown. Mr Lord said: "While we acknowledge the change in grant status, we appreciate that Arts Council England have found that there is no finding against the company that it deliberately misled the Arts Council in this application." Listen to the best of BBC Radio Manchester on Sounds and follow BBC Manchester on Facebook, X, and Instagram and watch BBC North West Tonight on BBC iPlayer.
