A “TRANSFORMATIONAL” project to renovate a Glasgow landmark has been awarded funding from the National Lottery Heritage Fund.
The People’s Palace and Winter Gardens, in the city’s east end, has secured £850,000 in initial development funding, which campaigners hope will pave the way to a full £7.5 million revamp.
In Glasgow Green, the building is home to collections documenting the city’s social history from 1750 to the present day.
In front of the building is a five-tier terracotta fountain designed to commemorate Queen Victoria’s Golden Jubilee in 1887 and believed to be the largest of its kind in the world.
Glasgow Life said that the funding announcement was a “major milestone [which] allows the vision to restore the People’s Palace and Winter Gardens as a vibrant museum and thriving community space to progress, protecting this invaluable cultural and heritage asset for generations”.
The development phase is expected to take around 16 months and will lead to a Heritage Fund second stage application, which will secure an additional £6.65m of support.
Bailie Annette Christie, the chair of Glasgow Life, said: “For 126 years the People's Palace and Winter Gardens has been one of Glasgow’s most treasured spaces, but it is now in need of significant investment.
“This announcement of Heritage Fund support is wonderful and crucial to breathing new life into the museum. While there is still work to be done to secure additional external funding, we can now move forward with this exciting project to restore, re-imagine, and improve a much-loved cultural and historical asset.
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“We will use all we have learned about engaging with communities, developing innovative digital technology, and designing accessible spaces, to celebrate the people of Glasgow and tell the city’s stories in a world-class, accessible, and sustainable museum. This will bring a wealth of social and economic benefits to the people in the East End of Glasgow and beyond.”
Eilish McGuinness, the chief executive of the National Lottery Heritage Fund, said: “I am delighted we are supporting this inspiring project, which is not only about redeveloping a much-loved building, but also rediscovering the story of Glasgow and putting the People's Palace and Winter Gardens back in the heart of local communities.
“This initial support paves the way for an award of up to £7.5m, which would be amongst the largest Heritage Fund awards made to a single project in Scotland. This reflects our new strategy to invest larger amounts in truly exceptional heritage projects across the UK, supporting our vision for heritage to be valued, cared for and sustained for everyone, now and in the future.
“Glasgow is also one of the first of 20 places around the UK that will share in our £200 million Heritage Places programme, announced last year.”
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The total cost of the People’s Palace and Winter Gardens project is £35.9m. Glasgow City Council has already committed £2.9m to the project, with a further £11m contribution to come.
Glasgow Life said it continues to work with other public and private sector funders to secure the remaining investment required.
Councillor Ruairi Kelly, Glasgow City Council’s convener for neighbourhood services and assets, said: “It’s great news that such a significant funding award has been secured for the People’s Palace. This award can add £7.5m to the pot, which would be a massive step closer to the goal of revitalising the People’s Palace and Winter Gardens.
“We remain fully committed to exploring every avenue to raise the remainder of the funding required to bring this major part of Glasgow’s working-class history back to life. We want to see the People’s Palace and Winter Gardens fully restored and functioning as a great cultural attraction for Glasgow’s residents and visitors alike.”
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