As with so many institutions, the Leeds Library has suffered from the impact of the pandemic, in recognition of which, it has received £49,800 from The National Lottery Heritage Fund.
The money will be used to support the Library’s reopening phase following its 15-week closure due to the Covid-19 lockdown. Essential building and maintenance work will be undertaken, and some of the money will start a fundraising campaign.
The Leeds Library – the oldest membership subscription library in the British Isles – has been focused on delivering a broad range of online and remote services for its members during lockdown, including an eBook Library, digital access to newspapers and journals, a postal loans service and online events programme.
Carl Hutton, Chief Executive of The Leeds Library said: “Thanks to the National Lottery and its players, we can now look to invest in our heritage and open up the Library quickl,y not just for our members but also for visitors over the coming months so they can engage with our heritage story. We’re grateful that The National Lottery Heritage Fund is supporting us at this crucial time – it’s a lifeline for us and others who are passionate about sustaining heritage for the benefit of all.”
Ros Kerslake, Chief Executive of The National Lottery Heritage Fund, said: “Heritage has an essential role to play in making communities better places to live, supporting economic regeneration and benefiting our personal wellbeing. All of these things are going to be even more important as we emerge from this current crisis.
Thanks to money raised by National Lottery players, we are pleased to be able to lend our support to organisations such as The Leeds Library during this uncertain time.”
Other organisations and charities who have been affected by the lockdown are receiving a share of £600 million from The National Lottery. This money is supporting some of the most vulnerable people in our communities and span the arts, community, charity, heritage, education, environment and sports sectors.
The National Lottery Heritage Fund is currently open to applications for its Heritage Emergency Fund. To find out more, visit here.
