Two Architectural Heritage Fund-supported projects have been crowned winners at the 2021 Museums + Heritage Awards. The awards marked the phenomenal achievements of organisations delivering projects in the most challenging of circumstances over the last year.
Jubilee Pool in Penzance won Sustainable Project of the Year (sponsored by the National Lottery Heritage Fund) for its geothermally-heated pool, which is the first in the UK.
Jubilee Pool opened in 1935 as one of a wave of fashionable Art Deco outdoor lidos opened across the country in the inter-war period. The Grade II listed pool is one of only five surviving seawater lidos in the UK and is considered by many to be the finest surviving example of a pre-war lido. The geothermal section of the pool provides a year-round area heated by a geothermal well and allows the pool to open throughout the year. The Architectural Heritage Fund (AHF) supported Jubilee Pool Penzance Ltd with a significant £850,000 loan investment in 2018, which has enabled the upgrade of public facilities, including a café and community/event space.
Find out more about Jubilee Pool here https://jubileepool.co.uk/
The award for Restoration or Conservation Project of the Year went to The Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings for the Old House Project, joint winners with the D-Day Story Landing Craft LCT 7074 project.
The Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings (SPAB) Old House Project is enabling the repair of the Grade II* St Andrews former chapel in Maidstone, Kent as part of a live conservation education programme. It will bring the ‘At Risk’ building back into use, while working with universities and schools to provide training, apprenticeships and work experience opportunities in hands-on technical conservation skills. The AHF are supporting the project with a Heritage Impact Fund loan of £500,000 towards the capital renovation and repair works.
Find out more about the Old House project here https://www.spab.org.uk/old-house-project
Photo credit: Daniel Bridge
Editor’s notes
1) The Architectural Heritage Fund is a registered charity, working since 1976 to promote the conservation and sustainable re-use of historic buildings for the benefit of communities across the UK, particularly in economically disadvantaged areas. We are the leading heritage social investor and the only specialist heritage lender operating in the UK. We provide advice, development grants and loans.
2) For media enquiries please contact Oliver Brodrick Ward, on 020 79250199 / oliver.brodrick-ward@ahfund.org.uk
