This is no longer about bricks and mortar

Today Janice Brockbank and myself had a meeting with two officers of the National Lottery Heritage Fund. It was invaluable. Nick, an investment manager for the NLHF, and Antonia, an engagement manager, spent the best part of an hour and a half discussing our 2018 application and the reasons why it fell short, and also gave us some great insights into the way our next application could develop. Allied to the information we have taken on board already, through the NLHF briefing in February and documents available online, we have a clear picture of the criteria required. We were reassured to know that our plans for the purchase and renovation of the house itself were well received. While we will review those plans to ensure they still fit with the overall vision, we will focus mainly on the mid- and long-term use of the house and ways in which we can ensure that it exerts a beneficial influence on the life of the community. This is not just about bricks and mortar and books and poetry, it is about achieving something meaningful for the whole town, and beyond through Copeland and Cumbria.