Of all the causes widely-respected local businesswoman Dame Julie Kenny DBE DL supported during her lifetime, the one closest to her heart was Rotherham’s Grade I listed stately home, Wentworth Woodhouse.
She played a pivotal role in the fight to secure its purchase in 2017 and, as Chair of its Preservation Trust for eight years, her unwavering dedication helped to kickstart a 20-year programme of regeneration for the house.
Her sudden death in February at the age of 67 sent shockwaves throughout Yorkshire and beyond, and left the team at the Grade I listed country house heartbroken.
But now the Trust has found a way of ensuring Dame Julie will always play a crucial role in protecting her beloved Wentworth Woodhouse.
With the approval of her family, The Dame Julie Kenny Legacy Fund has been launched. It will keep her memory burning bright – and ensure the historic site she set out to transform into a ‘house of opportunity’ for South Yorkshire’s communities has a solid future.
Dame Julie was renowned for giving her time, generosity and passion to the people and causes of her native South Yorkshire and it is hoped the love and respect she engendered will enable the fund to run permanently as her lasting legacy.
It will provide the Trust with critical financial support. Unlike almost all other great historic homes, the site did not come with the cushion of an endowment to support the Trust’s work.
Sarah McLeod OBE, the Trust’s CEO, had worked alongside Dame Julie from 2017. She commented: “Julie had an unwavering vision for Wentworth Woodhouse. She saw what many people couldn’t; its potential to become a beacon of opportunity and change for the region and town she loved.
“Her vision extended far beyond restoring this magnificent house. She truly believed it could become a catalyst for change for people from all walks of life. She wanted it to be regenerated so it could create opportunities through education, community engagement and the preservation of our local heritage.
“Her leadership saw us make impressive progress, but the work is far from over. Most of our 300-plus rooms remain derelict. It will take at least a decade to raise the many millions needed so the site can reach its full potential.
“With no endowment to sustain us, each year the Trust operates under immense financial pressure and this impacts on the education and community engagement programmes that Julie was so passionate about.
“The fund will be Julie’s legacy. It means she can support us in the years to come, just as she did in life. Every contribution will play a vital role in continuing her vision.”
The trust is working closely with Julie’s husband Iain and her three children Oliver, Laurence and Charlotte to jointly manage the fund and agree how the funds will be used.
On behalf of the family, Laurence Kenny said: “Our mother was a truly exceptional woman, who achieved so much in her lifetime, and remained fiercely proud of South Yorkshire. She provided support and energy to so many organisations and good causes. Since her untimely death, we have received hundreds of messages from people telling us how she touched their lives.
“We hope everyone will help us to honour her memory and her vision for Wentworth Woodhouse. Her name is synonymous with the house. Her Legacy Fund will ensure it remains so and will provide vital long-term support, as the trust continues the work that meant so much to her – restoring the house so it can enrich the lives of people across South Yorkshire.”
Donations can be made at a dedicated Donation Station at Wentworth Woodhouse, situated in the lobby between the Pillared Hall and the cafe, and via the Just Giving Link:
https://www.justgiving.com/campaign/damejuliekenny?utm_medium=CA&utm_source=CL
