The Everyman Theatre has moved closer to gaining a £500,000 boost to its plans to restore the Grade II listed building to its former glory.
The Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) has awarded a first-round pass* enabling the Everyman Theatre to further develop their restoration plans. The second-round application will be requesting an HLF grant of £500,000 for the project.
"This is great news" says Chief Executive, Geoffrey Rowe "and a major step forward. Lottery boards have less money these days, so it's quite an acheivement to get this far. Apparently, we now have an 80% chance of receiving the money, so we must make sure that we complete all the work for the second round and impress the Heritage Lottery Fund that this is a viable scheme."
"We can go forward to round two, once we hear from Cheltenham Borough Council that they will also fund the scheme. We have had a great deal of encouragement, but we have yet to receive confirmation. The Council has been asked for half of the costs in the form of a £250,000 grant and a £1,000,000 loan."
The total cost of the restoration is £2.5 million. The work is planned for the summer closure perieods 2010 and 2011. It will include various structural improvements, new seats and carpets and the restoration and redecoration of the historic 19th century auditorium. The theatre also plans to refurbish all the foyer and catering areas and introduce an exciting range of heritage related activities for schools, families and community groups.