St Peter's Sudbury awarded £226,000 grant from the New Anglia Local Enterprise Partnership

At the end of March 2020 we were delighted to be awarded a £226,000 grant from the New Anglia Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) for our project at St Peter's Church in Sudbury, Suffolk, to repair and regenerate the church as a thriving community hub.

This award, together with a £100,000 grant from Babergh District Council and contributions from generous grant funders and individuals, is vital support to enable us to reach our National Lottery Heritage Fund match funding target for this £2.5 million project.

Commenting on the award, Peter Aiers, Chief Executive of the Churches Conservation Trust, said: “We’re thrilled to have received support from the New Anglia Local Enterprise Partnership. Projects such as St Peter’s will revolutionise opportunities for people to take part in and experience the arts in Sudbury.

“St Peter’s will be a first-class cultural venue, places that will be needed all the more once we get through this uncertain period of coronavirus. We extend our huge thanks to the LEP for this award and express our gratitude to the Friends of St Peter’s and all those who have helped fund and support this project to date.” 

The award was made from the Growing Places Fund, which also awarded £225,000 to the New Wolsey Theatre in Ipswich and has previously invested in other projects such as the National Centre for Writing in Norwich and Sutton Hoo and Gainsborough’s House in Suffolk.

Helen Wilson, chair of the LEP’s Cultural Board, said: “We very much appreciate the way in which the New Anglia LEP has recognised the role culture plays in the strength of our economy and in growing our communities, and we are absolutely delighted to see this investment in the New Wolsey and St Peter’s.

“Of course, this is a very difficult time for the cultural sector and financial support like this will help to put us in a stronger position, so we can play what will be a vital part in this region’s recovery when the time comes.

“Cultural organisations are at the heart of all our communities, improving the quality of all our lives and it is crucial they are still there once COVID-19 has subsided.” 

You can read more about the project and our plans for St Peter's here.