SUMMERLEE ALLOCATED £4.78m BY THE

HERITAGE LOTTERY FUND
 

Summerlee Heritage Park has been allocated £4.78 million in the latest round of awards by the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF).  The allocation of the funds is the first stage in securing a full grant and detailed plans will now be drawn up for final approval by the HLF.

The provisional allocation of funds, one of the largest to come to North Lanarkshire since the lottery began, is for a project to develop Summerlee's main exhibition hall into a visitor attraction of national importance.  Already a VisitScotland 'Four Star' museum, the award will allow the first major changes to take place to the site's main hall and its collection of industrial heritage artefacts since the heritage park opened in 1987.

Centre to the plans is an improved layout within the exhibition hall that will use atmospheric presentations and interactive displays to take visitors through the history of industrial Scotland. 

There will also be a new life-long learning suite for school and community groups plus a new café and shop. 
 

Behind the scenes, there is to be an extension and upgrading to the site's storage facilities and extra space for volunteer training.

Councillor James Logue, Convener of North Lanarkshire Council's Community Services Committee said:  "This is tremendous news for Summerlee and the industrial heritage of Scotland.  To have a sum of this size set aside by the HLF is a major achievement and we will now be working hard to finalise our plans, present them to the HLF and receive confirmation of the full allocation as a grant award".

Museums and Heritage manager Carol Haddow commented:  "I am delighted for the staff and volunteers at Summerlee, who have all worked so hard to put ideas forward that can now be developed for the enjoyment of future generations.  Summerlee's setting around the former ironworks is unique and its industrial and social history collections equally so.  We can now move forward to really develop the wonderful, but hitherto under-developed, space of the main exhibition hall into a visitor attraction worthy of not only its heritage, but also of 21^st Century Scotland".

Announcing the allocation of the funds Colin McLean, manager for the HLF in Scotland, said:  "The people of North Lanarkshire have a great pride and passion in the industries that once thrived here.  This has helped drive Summerlee to its success today, as the HLF is keen to support projects which have real meaning for local people".