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Chance Heritage Trust secures funding for their future work

By August 1, 2024No Comments
Exterior photograph of a section of the glassworks building. It shows windows boarded up or with broken panes.

Chance Heritage Trust is delighted to announce the award of a £250,000 grant from The National Lottery Heritage Fund, thanks to money raised by National Lottery players. The funding will support the trust for the next 3 years. A further grant of £165,000 has been awarded by Historic England. The combined capacity building grants will transform how the trust operates and will help to drive the regeneration and repurposing of the Chance Glassworks and other globally significant industrial heritage sites in Smethwick in the West Midlands.

Chances, in Smethwick, employed 3,500 and supplied iconic structures, such as around 2,300 of the world’s lighthouses, the Crystal Palace in London, windows for the White House, and the Houses of Parliament. It features a seven-storey warehouse, bridges, and a rare Siemens No7 Regenerative furnace, probably the last existing example in the world.

For the last 8 years, the trust has been supported solely by volunteers. The funding from The National Lottery Heritage Fund and Historic England recognises the need to put the projects on a more structured and robust footing to continue to work with stakeholders in rescuing and repurposing two historically significant industrial heritage sites. The funding will enable the trust to employ a project director and a small support team. They will continue to work with stakeholders in pushing forward plans for the regeneration of both sites for the benefit of the local community.

Working with volunteers and the local community the team will develop a programme of heritage and cultural activities using the rich industrial history of these sites as a resource for people of all ages and backgrounds.

Mark Davies, Chair of Chance Heritage Trust, said: “We are delighted to receive this support from National Lottery players through The National Lottery Heritage Fund, and Historic England. This is a significant step forward; the trust is now on solid footing to continue its work in rescuing and repurposing these iconic sites for present and future generations.”

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