Piece Hall recives £440,000 of Government funding to help with recovery

The Piece Hall Trust is to receive £442,700 from second round of the Government’s £1.57 billion Culture Recovery Fund.

The Trust, which has just published its annual review, is looking forward to welcoming visitors back, and pulling in “staycation” visitors safely as restrictions are being further relaxed from April 12.

Trust Chief Executive Nicky Chance-Thompson, said The Piece Hall would continue its remit of being a primary driver of Calderdale’s economy, building on its international, national and regional reputation for attracting visitors to Calderdale and Halifax and doing this while being a place local people loved to visit and was valued by them.

“Whilst the past year has been hugely challenging for the tourism, retail, culture and heritage sectors, there is now cause for significant optimism.

“This latest round of the Culture Recovery Fund recognises the inherent importance of heritage and culture’s role in supporting and kick starting the nation’s recovery.

“We look forward to continuing to support our thriving tenant community of independent traders as well as the wider town and Borough.

“We have a proven track record of contributing significantly to the local economy through our heritage offer and year-round programs of activities.

“This latest funding from the Culture Recovery Fund will enable us to reopen with some certainty and build reserves to ensure our longer-term sustainability.

“Importantly, we hope to bring some much-needed joy back to people’s lives and help them to recover from the effects of the pandemic,” she said.

Research has shown the Piece Hall bringing £5 back into the Calderdale economy for every £1 invested in it.

In 2019, the last full year before the pandemic, tourism was worth £400 million to Calderdale’s economy, with visitors attracted to the Grade I listed former cloth hall, and boosted by television drama successes including Sally Wainwright’s Gentleman Jack, screened by the BBC and a success in the U.S. when shown by partners HBO.

Calderdale Council recognises tourism as a very important part of the borough’s economic make-up and one on which it should capitalise further as recovery from the pandemic gets under way.