Money for the Mills

Bondholder The Arkwright Society at Cromford Mills has received £250,000 of National Lottery support to help it reopen its gates.

Since the Covid-19 pandemic and lockdown began, Cromford Mills has had to cancel over 70 events and furloughed most of the Arkwright Society employees.

It continued to be cared for by a few members of the team, looking after the mill buildings and performing essential business operations. Behind the scenes, there have been many hours spent exploring a way forward to ensure the site could survive the crisis and reopen in the future.

Simon Wallwork, Chief Executive of the Arkwright Society, said: “We are grateful that The National Lottery Heritage Fund is supporting us at this crucial time – it’s a lifeline to us and others who are passionate about sustaining heritage for the benefit of all.

“We are looking forward to our visitors, volunteers and staff bringing the buzz back to Cromford Mills.”

The funding, made possible by National Lottery players, was awarded through The National Lottery Heritage Fund’s Heritage Emergency Fund. £50million has been made available to provide emergency funding for those most in need across the heritage sector. The UK-wide fund will address both immediate emergency actions and help organisations to start thinking about recovery.