With the help of funding from the Thrive Together Fund, a new Visitor Centre has opened at Kiplin Hall and Gardens in North Yorkshire.
The £6m Thrive Together Fund, which is currently closed to new applications, is managed by Social Investment Business and delivered in partnership with Co-operative and Community Finance, Fredericks Foundation, Groundwork, Homeless Link and The Architectural Heritage Fund (AHF). It combines grant funding with repayable finance, providing a funding package of loan (75%) and grant (25%) to eligible small and medium-sized charities and social enterprises in England that are looking to grow or diversify their business models.
Kiplin Hall is a Grade I listed historic country house located between Richmond and Northallerton, North Yorkshire. Built in the early 1620s as a hunting lodge, it was originally commissioned by George Calvert, Secretary of State to James I, who later founded the Maryland colony in the United States.
Owned and managed by Kiplin Hall CIO, the Hall is now open to the public as a museum and historical site. It plays host to a range of exciting events, exhibitions, and educational programmes that aim to preserve and share the rich heritage of the house with a wide audience. Reflecting its long and interesting history, it is also filled with a diverse collection of furniture, portraits, paintings, and the personal belongings of the four families who have owned the Hall in the past 400 years. The Hall is an important community asset; not only does it provide many volunteering opportunities, but it also brings significant health and wellbeing benefits to a predominantly older population living in rurally isolated areas.
Recent investment from the Thrive Together Fund has contributed towards the conversion of a historic ancillary building on the site to create a new Visitor Centre for Kiplin Hall.
Image: The new Visitor Centre at Kiplin Hall. Photo by DL10Media.
Officially opened last week, in celebration of the Hall’s 400th Anniversary, the Visitor Centre has significantly increased the capacity of Kiplin Hall, enabling more people to visit and appreciate its rich history. It has also improved the visitor experience and provided new revenue-generating elements through a café and gift shop, ultimately helping to secure a sustainable future for the charity and for Kiplin Hall and Gardens itself.
Images: The gift shop (left) and the cafe (right) inside Kiplin Hall's new Visitor Centre. Photo by DL10Media.
James Etherington, Director of Kiplin Hall and Gardens, said:
"We are immensely grateful for the support of the Thrive Together Fund. While we celebrate the last 400 years of Kiplin's history, we can now look ahead to Kiplin's bright future. The new facilities this funding has helped to create are an important part of the plans to ensure Kiplin is here for future generations. We can now welcome more visitors, generating more income for the charity. The modern facilities in the Visitor Centre mean that the venue is now much more accessible, broadening our appeal in the community."
The Thrive Together Fund is currently closed to new applications. However, the Architectural Heritage Fund (AHF) offers a range of funding options, including grants and tailored loan finance, with competitive terms, to support not-for-profit organisations working on or based in historic buildings across the UK. Our funding helps give historic buildings a sustainable future for the benefit of communities. To find out how we can support your project, visit our website today.
